The African proverb “it takes a whole village to raise a child” has been interpreted for decades to mean that raising a child is the responsibility of all members of a community. At the same time, it has also become a huge weight on the backs of African children, who feel indebted to the community, which joined hands with their immediate family to raise them.
For numerous African households, sending a child overseas for education represents the peak of years spent on sacrifice and aspiration. However, for the students holding this hope, the price of their education goes well beyond tuition fees or the cost of an airfare.
Adebayo Olumide, a student of engineering in Germany, experienced this directly. Although his scholarship funded his education, the responsibility of providing for his family in Nigeria overshadowed his academic goals.
“My parents depend on me for rent, and I also cover my younger siblings’ school fees. It’s overwhelming, but saying no isn’t an option,” Adebayo laments.
“I work long shifts at a restaurant—not to save for my future, but to send money home.”
For many African foreign students, this is their life. They are ensnared in a loop of financial obligation known as the “black tax,” which is a cultural norm that requires young people studying abroad to help support their families.
As these students struggle to balance academics, part-time jobs, and personal well-being, the emotional and financial toll of black tax becomes an unspoken crisis.
The Financial Strain of Black Tax
The financial burden of black tax is debilitating for many international students, frequently compelling them to manage a maze of costs that affords little opportunity for anything aside from mere existence.
Tuition fees alone can be a barrier, as charges for non-EU students in nations such as the United Kingdom, the United States, or Germany can range from $20,000 to $50,000 each year. Additionally, the high expenses of living in cities such as London, New York, or Toronto, where rent, food, transportation, and healthcare can greatly surpass the annual earnings of many families in Africa.
However, for African students studying overseas, the financial strain extends beyond just their personal costs. On average, a considerable share of their income—occasionally reaching 30–50% is remitted monthly to assist families in need.
The World Migration Report 2024 reveals a remarkable increase in global remittances, which surged from $128 billion in 2000 to $831 billion in 2022, with $647 billion directed towards low- and middle-income nations. For many African students abroad, this is not just a statistic but a lived reality.
Nandi, a South African pursuing public health studies in the UK, is among them. Even with a scholarship that pays for her tuition, she is continually managing two jobs to cover her expenses.
“I juggle two jobs to get by; my studies are my priority, yet my family views me as their sole support. It’s an ongoing challenge.”
Nandi’s experience reveals a tough reality, the cost of living abroad isn’t the only challenge. Black tax creates an unseen yet stifling financial strain on students, compelling them to divide their income among tuition, rent, and their family’s requirements.
The strain on Nandi is not just monetary; it is also emotional. Her family relies on her to help with household bills and to pay for her younger siblings’ education.
“It’s overwhelming,” acknowledges Nandi.
“In order to send money home, I’ve had to cut out on necessities like food and social activities.”
While students may benefit financially from part-time work, their academic performance may suffer as a result. Many international students, including Nandi, experience a vicious cycle of exhaustion that prevents their ability to focus on their academics and engage with their new environment because of the additional stress of sending money home each month.
“I’m always thinking about how I’ll make enough money this month. My degree is important, but my family’s needs are more pressing,” she reflects.
These students are forced to delay their academic progress, either by taking fewer courses to work more hours or by postponing their graduation due to financial constraints. For some, it even leads to abandoning their studies altogether, as the financial strain becomes unbearable.
Emotional and Mental Toll
International students are not only negatively impacted financially by the black tax, their mental and emotional wellbeing are also negatively impacted. The constant juggling of school, work, and family responsibilities leaves students feeling emotionally drained, often causing feelings of guilt, anxiety, and helplessness.
For many, the pressure to contribute to their families’ well-being while pursuing their personal goals abroad creates a conundrum that is both personal and cultural. In African communities, family is often seen as a collective unit, and there is a long-standing expectation that children, particularly those who have gone abroad for better opportunities, will support their families.
Olumide describes the constant tug-of-war he feels between his family’s expectations and his academic goals. “I feel trapped between my future and my family’s needs,” he says.
“When I can’t send money, I feel like I’m failing them. However, I feel as though I’m failing myself when I do.”
The guilt that Femi experiences is quite common, numerous students like him carry the weight of familial expectations, even at the expense of their own mental health.
This emotional burden is compounded by a lack of support systems. International students frequently experience emotional and physical isolation while adjusting to new life in a foreign nation. International students experience feelings of isolation and loneliness if they do not have the close-knit support of family or a community that genuinely understands their challenges. Research indicates that the loss of traditional social support systems and the difficulty in establishing new ones in a foreign country can exacerbate these feelings, potentially leading to social isolation and mental health issues
Nandi has felt the toll of this isolation. “I feel like I’m carrying a weight that no one sees,” she shares.
“I can’t talk to my friends here because they don’t understand why I have to work so much. I can’t talk to my family back home because they rely on me too much. I’m stuck in the middle, and I don’t know how to get out.”
Refusing to send money home is viewed as a betrayal in many African societies.
Adebayo, who works nonstop but still feels the burden of obligation, says, “If I don’t send money, I’m seen as selfish, and I can’t live with that guilt.”
This guilt often turns into anxiety. The mental strain of balancing work, academics, and family obligations leaves many students struggling to keep up. They have a persistent fear of failing, both academically and as carers.
Ghanaian student Kofi, who is studying in Australia, reveals that in order to take on more work, he had to delay assignments and miss important lectures to take on extra work. “I feel like I’m always behind,” he says
“It’s hard to focus when your mind is consumed by how you’ll send money back home. You can’t really focus on school or anything else.”
The cycle of guilt, anxiety, and burnout can be emotionally crippling. Despite the outward appearance of success—studying abroad, pursuing a degree—many international students are silently struggling with mental health challenges.
In many cases, students learn to cope by suppressing their emotions and pushing themselves to work harder, study longer, and send increased financial support home. But the emotional weight doesn’t disappear—it only grows heavier.
Breaking the Cycle of Silent Sacrifice
African governments must address the underlying issues that lead families to rely on their children studying abroad in order to ease the pressure on international students. Investing in local economies, generating job opportunities, and enhancing social support systems will diminish reliance on students from overseas. Countries like Kenya and Ghana have launched diaspora bonds to channel remittances into national development, but more needs to be done at the grassroots level to ensure families do not see their children overseas as their only financial plan.
African governments must prioritise long-term economic stability by investing in industries that create jobs and generate sustainable incomes. A 2023 report from the African Development Bank (AfDB) states that Africa must generate a minimum of 12 million jobs each year to keep pace with its expanding workforce, yet only 3 million jobs are currently being created. Due to a lack of job opportunities, even highly educated Africans are finding it more difficult to find fulfilling employment, increasing dependence on remittances. Families often see sending a child overseas as their only viable financial plan, an investment with the expectation of remittance returns.
For many African students abroad, black tax is not just a financial obligation—it is a quiet battle against exhaustion, guilt, and the ever-present fear of failure. The burden of being the family’s economic backbone while juggling academic expectations creates an invisible crisis, one that few dare to speak up about.
While remittances continue to sustain millions back home, the human cost of this dependence remains largely ignored. Without urgent structural reforms, Africa will continue to export its finest and brightest, only to have them depleted by an endless cycle of financial strain. Until governments create viable economic opportunities at home, the black tax will remain a debt that too many international students must pay—with their time, their well-being, and, for some, their futures.
Writer: Àkànní Olúwaségún Michael
Editors: Chimee Adioha, Amaka Obioji
Image: Emmanuel Ogunleye