Stranger Offers To Pay For Homeless Teen's College Room And Board

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Ah, finally some good news about the American college admissions process! Last week, we wrote about Dylan Chidick, the Jersey City teenager who grew up homeless, but has now found himself accepted into 18 colleges and universities this spring.

The story continues to unfold: An anonymous donor has now come forward and offered to pay for Chidick's room and board at his first year of college, according to NJ.com. Chidick was also accepted this week into his eighteenth school, his dream and final college: The College of New Jersey. TCNJ shared the news on their Facebook page.

Chidick, 17, is a student at Henry Snyder High School in Jersey City. "Snyder," as it's called, is located in the Greenville section of Jersey City, a very poor area and one plagued by crime and drug violence. Chidick is class president, student council president and a member of the National Honor Society there.

The teen and his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Trinidad when he was seven years old, and he is a U.S. citizen. But their life has hardly been easy since then: The family struggled with poverty and has been in and out of homelessness. Chidik's two twin younger brothers were born with serious heart defects.

As of last week, Chidick, who will be the first in his family to attend college, was accepted into an incredible 17 colleges. But he was waiting on his final choice: TCNJ. Representatives from The College of New Jersey paid him a surprise visit this week at Snyder to let him know he'd been accepted. Chidik said he will attend TCNJ next fall, as it was his first-choice school.

In response to the overwhelming attention his story received, Chidik also said he was encouraged to create a GoFundMe page and so he created one this past Saturday, March 16. He said that his requested donation amount of $10,000 was set by GoFundMe.

"Many people who have seen my story asked if I was going to create a GoFundMe account," he wrote. "I have received scholarships from school and aid from the government, but even with all of that, I would still have to pay a drastic amount out of pocket."

"This money that is raised would help me pay for my senior expenses such as prom and graduation, and the money that is left I am going to put directly into an account that will be used for college purposes only. Whether it be books, college supplies or clothes, you can be sure that the money that you are donating will be put to good use."

"One last thing, please do not feel forced to donate money," the teen added. "I do not want people to feel that they have to donate, having your words of encouragement is payment enough."

Chidick's mother lost her job and the family has been in and out of homelessness when he was growing up. Women Rising, a Jersey City-based non profit, was able to place the family in permanent supportive housing.

Chidick also obtained summer internships with Jersey City Youth Works, a program run by the city that places local teens in summer internships.

"Dylan was a model intern for us. He was always so poised and dedicated and it was felt in the room when he spoke," Luis Pacheco, an aid to the Jersey City mayor, told Patch. "We always knew we'd get the honest truth when speaking to Dylan. He actually cares about what you're saying. Honestly, we are the fortunate ones to have had Dylan be part of our JCSI Program, not the other way around."

On his internship page, Chidick said that for a career he wants to study law and public policy, saying: "I chose this field because want to help change the corrupt criminal justice system in America."

Past Patch reporting: Once Homeless, Jersey City Teen Accepted Into 17 Colleges