Year 10 student resorts to crowd-funding to pay school fees at Kardinia International College

A Geelong teen is going to extraordinary lengths to afford her private school education after her enrolment at an elite college was cancelled.

Alera Celesti, right, is fighting to stay at Kardinia International College after the school ceased her enrolment. Pictured with her mum Heather Stevenson.

A 15-year-old girl has resorted to crowd-funding to pay her school fees after an elite Geelong school ceased her enrolment due to outstanding financial payments.

Alera Celesti was meant to be commencing year 10 at Kardinia International College, but was told last year her enrolment would cease at the end of term 4.

Alera’s mother, Heather Stevenson, claimed the school was not being flexible in allowing her to repay her daughter’s outstanding fees.

Documents state the family owes $10,967.10 and the college will not allow Alera to return to school until the outstanding balance is rectified.

In 2023, Ms Stevenson paid more than $17,000 in school fees.

In April 2021, the family was forced to move out of their rental property in Belmont due to a mould issue.

Ms Stevenson said the family was given seven days of emergency accommodation after the home was deemed uninhabitable, but was living in hotels, paying up to $1400 a week, while they tried to find another rental property.

While living at the property, Ms Stevenson became unwell due to the mould.

She was admitted to hospital multiple times during 2021 and 2022 and spent time in intensive care.

“My kids were putting me in the ambulance, sometimes I was turning blue and I wasn’t able to breath,” she said.

East Geelong mum Heather Stevenson in hospital after being exposed to mould.

Having relocated from Western Australia in 2014, the family had no relatives in Victoria and Alera relied on support from her peers and teachers at Kardinia while her mum was in hospital.

Ms Stevenson was unable to work while she was unwell but was paying $603.26 a week in school fees.

On August 22, the school increased the weekly payments from $603.26 to $1662.03 and warned Alera’s enrolment at the college was “not guaranteed”.

Ms Stevenson told the school she would not be able to pay the extra $1000 a week and remained committed to the $603.26 payments.

But on November 3, the school ceased Alera’s enrolment.

Kardinia International College. Picture: Alan Barber

The decision was reviewed by college principal Catherine Lockhart.

The school maintained the call.

Ms Stevenson said the idea of moving schools was causing her daughter immense stress and anxiety.

Alera said she wished the school had taken the time to meet with her to discuss the financial situation, before her enrolment was ceased.

A Kardinia spokeswoman would not directly comment on Alera’s circumstances but said the college, like all independent schools, relied on families meeting their agreed financial commitments if it was to deliver a quality education for all students.

“The college requires that all agreed fees and charges be paid on time to ensure fairness for all families, and offers a range of bursaries and scholarships in appropriate circumstances,” she said.

Ms Stevenson has taken on two jobs to repay the outstanding payment and Alera got a part-time job at a kebab shop to contribute to her fees.

More than 20 of Alera’s peers have written to Ms Lockhart urging her to instate her enrolment.

“They’re not supporting their own community … we’re at a loss,” Ms Stevenson said.

Alera created a GoFundMe page as a last resort to garner donations to pay her outstanding fees to allow her to remain at Kardinia.

To support Alera, visit gofundme.com/keep-alera-at-kardinia.

Originally published as Year 10 student resorts to crowd-funding to pay school fees at Kardinia International College