‘I am so very grateful to the people who donated’

Interview with Zhiyang, who received support from the Emergency Fund

Most students can, fortunately, lead a fairly carefree life and mainly focus on studying. But what if you are faced with illness, war in your home country or other unforeseen circumstances that leave you in acute financial difficulties? Utrecht University offers extra support wherever possible. Also through the Emergency Fund. With a modest contribution from this fund, students can, for instance, buy food, pay rent and, as a result, ultimately graduate. 

Who are these students and what is their story? Today, we talk to Zhiyang Chen, a Master’s student in Computing Science.

Bikes and friendliness

It is August 2025 when Zhiyang first arrives in Utrecht from Beijing. The directness in communication here feels like a breath of fresh air: “In China you spend a lot of time guessing what people actually mean. Over here they are straight forward, which makes things so much more efficient.”

Zhiyang is struck by the friendliness of the people he meets, by the overwhelming amount of bicycles and by how society here seems more egalitarian than in China. He feels extremely fortunate: he is passionate about his study programme and is one of the very lucky students to find a place to live. Nothing seems to stand in his way to be a successful and carefree student. But then he receives news that his parents can no longer support him financially. 

I was so stressed, every single minute of the day

Penniless

“How am I going to do this? What about the tuition fees for next year and my living expenses? I started to worry constantly. Of course I looked for work.” Soon Zhiyang finds himself a job as a teaching assistant. But during the last step in the hiring process he finds out he doesn’t have the right work permit. Applying for one would take two months; time he doesn’t have. The job goes to someone else, and Zhiyang remains penniless. 

“A permit for working in a restaurant takes less time to obtain. But from experience I know I would fail my courses if I’d work long hours in a restaurant. I have a health issue that doesn’t help and I really need time and focus to study to be able to pass my exams. 

So I thought of a way to get an income, using my knowledge of algorithms. But it was not a good road to take. I spent too much time on it, hardly slept and had to invest the little money I still had. My results at university went downhill. The feeling was horrible. I was so stressed, every single minute of the day. I could not focus and became forgetful.” 

I messed up, what can I do?

ChatGPT

With no food left in his fridge Zhiyang starts searching online for charities, for churches, for anyone who could possibly help him. “Most people would probably reach out to their parents, but I feel I cannot. My family situation is complicated. Asking my parents for help is not really an option.”

Desperately Zhiyang asks ChatGPT: ‘I messed up, what can I do?’. The answer: ‘Have you tried reaching out to a student counselor? They might be able to help through the Emergency Fund’. Up until then Zhiyang had had no idea he could turn to the university for help. With a heavy heart, he makes an appointment. 

You’ll be fine

“I was very nervous for the appointment, because I had never asked for this kind of help before. I was worried about how I was going to explain the kind of mess I was in. I decided to be very frank and not to look for excuses for my own mistakes. To my great relief the student counselor was very friendly and understanding and offered help. He tried to calm me down and repeated to me: ‘You’ll be fine’.   

A while later I was in a budget supermarket looking for the cheapest products - I had trained myself to find products that cost less than one euro – when I saw the email from the student counselor saying that money had been transferred to me. It was such a huge relieve. I went straight to the library to write an email to say thank you." 

When I have a serious job, I will donate money back to the fund

Grateful

“I still have stress around exams, but now I am confident that it will be ok, because I can focus on studying and not worry about other stuff. In the summer I will work full time in a restaurant. And next year I have less courses, which gives me time to continue to work parttime. The student counselor also told me that I can pay for the tuition fee in parts and spread it. So I think everything will be fine now. 

I am so very grateful to the people who donated to the Emergency Fund. Receiving help has made such an immense difference. Now I look at the future brightly and with confidence again. When I have a serious job, I will donate money back to the fund.”  

Also read the story of Mahdi Aghayee Meibodi, Master’s student Artificial Intelligence