Unable to qualify for any scholarships, grants or loans, Jong Yoon, a sophomore Christian ministries major, has no other option but to fundraise for his Biola tuition.
At the age of 4, Yoon and his family traveled from Korea legally, with passports, green cards and visas, intending to gain permanent citizenship in the United States. Yoon’s father invested most of the family’s savings into a law firm that said it would help the family gain citizenship, but after the firm turned out to be a fraud, the Yoon family was left with two choices — travel back to Korea or wait out their options in the U.S.
Now an expired immigrant, Yoon must rely on donations and fundraisers to keep him at the university since he is unable to legally work or receive financial aid.
Yoon is able to attend California colleges and universities under the AB540 law, which states he is not forced to pay out-of-state tuition costs. Because he has gone through the California education system, has no criminal record, desires to get a higher education, and intends to apply for citizenship as soon as he is able, Yoon qualifies under the law.
Creative fundraisers provide means to make payments
Initially he attended Ventura College, a junior college in his hometown, but after only a year Yoon felt God was calling him to Biola to pursue a higher education in Christian ministry.
Given his situation, Yoon knew if he was going to attend Biola, he would need to fundraise all of his tuition.
“I had a vision one night that I was going to go to Biola and I knew if that was going to happen I’d have to raise all $40,000, so I just didn’t think it was possible. It was a dream almost,” Yoon said. “I had a vision about a fundraiser … just this big event … and I said to God, ‘If this is of you please let it stick into my heart, please let it stay, but if it’s not of you, let me forget about it.’”
The next morning Yoon still had the vision and so he and his close friends gathered every Thursday, starting in February 2012 and prayed over Yoon and the event. In April 2012, Yoon held his first fundraiser at Ventura Missionary Church, where he sold food and shirts he designed. Through the first fundraiser, Yoon raised $5,000.
The April fundraiser raised half of what he needed as the down payment for Biola. Yoon pays through Biola’s payment plan per semester, which dictates a 60 percent down payment equaling about $10,000 then three monthly payments of around $2,400. After a series of anonymous gifts and donations, Yoon has been able to maintain his student status at Biola.
With his last semester payment due Nov. 15, Yoon hosted the “Biola Thrift Store” on Nov. 12-15. Sophomore Brendon Anthony gave Yoon the idea based on a fundraiser Anthony hosted in the past. Together, Yoon, Anthony and others collected clothing from students in Biola’s dorms to sell at the thrift store; all items were sold for less than $5.
The thrift store yielded $2,200 for Yoon and enabled him to make his final payment for the fall semester. However, now Yoon must focus on the next payment of $10,000 due Jan. 15.
Continuing to depend on the Lord's provision despite various student reactions
Student reactions to Yoon’s fundraising have been overwhelmingly positive; anyone who meets Yoon recognizes his heart for ministry and his encouraging spirit, according to sophomore Jacque Younger, one of Yoon’s friends who helped him collect donations for the thrift store.
Though few and far between, there have been some negative reactions to his fundraising, Yoon said. Some of his peers have said he is sinful and unmanly for asking for donations, and tried to deter Yoon from fundraising for his tuition. But for Yoon, being faithful is asking.
“He wants me to continue to depend solely on him. That’s very crazy to me because for one semester, I had since February to fundraise. Now I’m a full-time student and fundraising on top of that is overwhelming,” Yoon said. “God is taking away all the things that I try to put my trust in. God is saying, ‘No I, Yahweh, am your provider.’ I don’t know how God is going to provide, but I think that’s almost beautiful.”
Living according to Romans 12:12 — to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer — Yoon said his goal is not for people to marvel at his unique story, but rather he hopes people see God’s faithfulness and provision through his situation.
Yoon stated he would like to graduate from Biola and even earn a master’s degree in Christian education, but at the same time he is prepared if God calls him somewhere else. Yoon doesn’t know if God has him at Biola for another year or even another semester, but he said he knows wherever he is, that is where God wants him to be.
