LONDON • American pop star Taylor Swift has donated more than £23,000 (S$41,000) to a London student raising funds to go to university.

Ms Vitoria Mario, 18, won a place to study mathematics at Britain’s University of Warwick, but could not afford to support herself.

She asked hundreds of companies for help and even posted notes through the mailboxes of homes in affluent areas. In desperation, she turned to online crowdfunding – and Swift got in touch.

“Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality,” the Wildest Dreams (2015) singer wrote after donating £23,373.

“I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do! Love, Taylor.”

Swift, 30, made no public statement about the donation, but her official Twitter account liked a tweet about the story posted by one of Ms Mario’s friends.

Ms Mario said the donation “blew my mind”, telling BBC television: “I call it a blessing.”

According to her GoFundMe page, Ms Mario moved to London four years ago from Portugal speaking no English, but got top marks in all her exams. She set herself a target of raising £40,000 for university accommodation and living costs over four years – which she has now exceeded.

“Sadly, my father has passed away and my mother remains in Portugal. Moving away from her was a challenge, but it was a sacrifice worth being made, in my family’s eyes,” she wrote.

According to United States media, Swift has made other impromptu donations to fans.

Since the pandemic began, she has sent a box of merchandise to a nurse in Utah and helped support workers at a shuttered Nashville record store.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE