15-year-old international university student in Montreal could face return to Iran over unpaid tuition

At the age of 15, Sara Saedi, an international student from Iran, has straight A’s after her first semester in Concordia University’s biochemistry program. But her future on the Montreal campus is uncertain due to high tuition.

Saedi has outstanding fees and, because of this, is unable to complete the necessary paperwork to remain in the country.

“Right now I have an outstanding balance to the university. It’s about over $20,000 for the semester that I had here,” said Saedi. “And we did not expect for the tuition to go this high the first time when I applied to the university, which was back in 2022.”

Tuition for international students in Quebec recently rose to a minimum of $20,000 per year. Saedi’s tuition totals $26,000 annually. These fees, combined with the fact that her retired parents have no remaining resources, have left her with limited options.

“They are willing to sell whatever they have to support Sara since she came here,” said Masoumeh Alimohammadi, Saedi’s legal guardian and an immigration consultant. “They did that in order to support the cost of living for her, but after that the tuition fee is a big obstacle for her.”

Alimohammadi is hoping the government and community can step in to help. She has launched an online fundraising campaign to support Saedi’s education.

“Four years of study, it goes above $150,000 tuition fee and that’s, it’s incredible,” Alimohammadi said. “She cannot afford that. The family cannot afford it.”

If Saedi can’t pay her outstanding tuition fees, she may have to return to Iran — a place she says she no longer feels safe. She has dreams of working in pharmacy to develop antibiotics. Before attending Concordia, she graduated from high school at 13 and has learned to speak five languages.

“I’m studying biochemistry because my final goal to kind of reach in my studies is in the pharmaceutical field,” said Saedi. “So biochemistry sounds like a solid foundation for that, so that’s why I chose this program.”

“With government support I think it would be much easier,” Alimohammadi said. “She’s a talented mind and I think Canada will benefit in the future of Sara. She is going to become a future scientist, researcher and she can serve our country.”