Photo Courtesy of Kayleigh Hernandez

At home in Florida in November of 2024, junior Kayleigh Hernandez was brought to tears discussing her future. Months earlier, she had been evicted from her WashU housing and was unable to continue taking her classes.

As a low-income student, Hernandez normally has her tuition covered. However, after experiencing medical issues, like seizures, she did not submit financial forms on time, leading her to be charged for the fall 2023 semester. Unable to pay the $50,000 fee, she was evicted and returned home.

“I didn’t realize that this debt had accumulated. When I realized it was real, I was crushed,” Hernandez told Student Life in November.

Hernandez spent the next several months languishing about her future. She said that the uncertainty about her return to school gave her considerable anxiety.

“I didn’t think not being in college would be so stressful,” Hernandez said. 

Then, on a seemingly random day in early January, Hernandez was told that she would be able to return to school in an email from Chris Kroeger, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Student Services in the McKelvey School of Engineering.

“They basically said ‘Your debt has been cleared, you can come back to school. Do you want to come back in a week [for the spring semester] or next fall?’” Hernandez said.

Hernandez picked the earlier option — she is now back at WashU, almost four months after having to leave. 

Kroeger declined a Student Life request for comment. Julie Flory, Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, did not respond to a request for comment.

Hernandez said that the news was revitalizing, even though it was not explained where the money to cover her tuition came from.

“It was more of a relief, if anything,” she said. “I don’t know how it got done, but I will definitely take advantage of this opportunity.”

She added that she feels lucky to be able to return.

“It’s a privilege to be back at University,” Hernandez said. “Some people don’t even get this opportunity, and some people in my situation would have just dropped out completely.”

Hernandez pointed to financial security as a main reason she feels so privileged to return.

“As a disadvantaged student, it’s hard to figure out what a good job would be after only high school,” Hernandez said. “Without college, you might be destined to never get out of poverty or something like it.”

After Hernandez had to leave WashU back in 2024, her story was picked up by The Association of Latin American Students (ALAS). Members like Junior Natalia León Díaz helped campaign for Hernandez by publicizing a GoFundMe that she started to cover the cost of tuition.

“We are incredibly grateful for everyone who supported Kayleigh and we celebrate her return to WashU,” wrote León Díaz in a comment to Student Life. “Additionally, while we are grateful for the administrative support, we recognize that her return was in great part facilitated by incredible amount of pressure applied by ALAS’s advocacy team and Kayleigh herself.”

León Díaz also criticized the administration for Hernandez’s eviction in the first place.

“However, we acknowledge the distress and permanent impact that her eviction for an entire semester nevertheless caused,” León-Díaz wrote. “ALAS will continue to demand increased support and guidance for First-Generation and Low-Income students on our campus.”

Hernandez said that she has been working hard to succeed in her classes, taking advantage of resources like matched academic mentoring and taking a slightly lower course load.

“What’s next for me is just really focusing on my education and my mental health, getting back while taking care of necessities,” Hernandez said. “I want to really take this semester to focus on my education.”

Hernandez said that her physical and mental health have both improved somewhat since returning.

“I feel like my seizures have been better, which is surprising in this higher stress environment,” she said. “I also feel like my mental health has been a little better.”

To help with medical bills and other necessities, Hernandez said that she is still accepting donations on her GoFundMe page, which was originally created to help her pay her tuition.

“[The GoFundMe] is to take care of necessities like medicine and my phone bill,” Hernandez said. “Especially since I am more busy and it’s probably not a good idea for me to get a job right now.”

After her return, she was featured in St. Louis Magazine, where she spoke about her goal for WashU to support students like her better — one she is still thinking about today. Hernandez said that she hopes her story can be a watershed for other students experiencing issues with University bureaucracy and financing their education.

“Everything happened for a reason,” Hernandez said. “I’m not exactly sure what the reason is as of yet, but maybe it’s to advocate for other students who might be going through something similar, whether it is with financial aid reasons or just not receiving support from the University.”