Evelyn Clarissa Siregar, a 28-year-old business-to-business tech sales professional, faced intense online criticism after posting an open call for financial sponsors on Threads to fund her acceptance into the Singapore Management University (SMU) full-time program starting in January 2027.
The Financial Breakdown and Admission Details
SMU lists the total tuition for the program at S$82,840, including tax, according to the university’s admissions website. The institution offers ASEAN citizens a one-time S$3,000 tuition discount, which Siregar characterized on social media as “far from enough.” Beyond tuition fees, Siregar estimated she would require between S$2,000 and S$2,500 a month to cover living expenses in Singapore. Holding a pharmacy background, Siregar works in tech sales at a small company and told Mothership that she previously attempted and failed to secure a full-time job that would accommodate part-time study.
Social Media Backlash and Defense
After Siregar published her September 19 post detailing her admission and funding gap—noting she had less than three months to raise the required fees and offering her sales and content creation skills in exchange for sponsorship rather than monetary repayment—commenters accused her of online begging. Critics pointed to her public social media history documenting trips to South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia, questioning why she had failed to save adequately for the degree. When Siregar replied that she lacked the financial privilege to do so, she drew further accusations of entitlement.
On September 24, Siregar posted an apology on Instagram, acknowledging that her initial defensive responses stemmed from entitlement and a failure to see the broader picture. She subsequently deleted the original Threads post, maintaining that seeking sponsorship was not inherently wrong, only her execution of the request. In a revised pitch, she detailed a professional focus on connecting researchers, investors, and industries to help Southeast Asian consumer goods and beauty products compete globally, arguing an MBA in Singapore would make that goal achievable. She also noted that she had faced multiple scholarship and program rejections, alongside failed standardized tests, before gaining admission to SMU, framing the pursuit as her final attempt at an MBA.
Current Standing and Public Response
While the revised pitch garnered noticeably more support according to AsiaOne, some users continued to criticize the proposal for omitting concrete financial figures and presenting an unclear value proposition for potential sponsors. Siregar told Mothership that she views the requested funding not as a handout, but as a reciprocal “value exchange.” She has continued pursuing traditional funding routes by applying for scholarships and directly emailing and meeting potential sponsors.
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