Demilade’s Story: What "Limited Leave" Actually Costs

£250,000 is the price one of our own is required to pay to become a doctor in this country.

Demilade moved to the UK in 2023 with her parents and siblings. She worked twice as hard to catch up in time for her GCSEs, made it into sixth form, and got the grades. Two university offers followed, both for medicine.

Then came the email that changed everything. Because of her immigration status, she doesn't qualify for home fees. Not £9,000 a year. £50,000 a year. Not because of her grades. Because of a visa category she didn't even know she was under.

She looked for scholarships. There isn't one single fully-funded scholarship in the UK for someone in her position. She applied to 13 healthcare apprenticeships, hoping to sidestep the fees entirely. Rejected from all 13. Two weeks before results day, she couldn't cover a £10,000 deposit, and her offer was withdrawn.

This September, she's not starting medical school. She's taking a forced two-year gap, working toward a healthcare assistant role in the NHS to stay close to the field she still wants to belong to, and planning to apply all over again in 2028.

This is not a rare story in our community. It’s what "limited leave" actually costs, in numbers most people never have to think about.

Demilade is still choosing to stay close to medicine. Still choosing to believe she'll get there. That's not naivety, that's what staying afloat looks like when the system keeps moving the finish line.