A University of Alabama graduate revealed on social media that three-time Grammy Award winner Olivia Rodrigo kicked in a large chunk of cash to help pay for her final semester of college.
Jamie Causey, who graduated in August 2025, posted a video on TikTok on Tuesday, revealing that the “Drivers License” singer gave her $5,000 to help pay for her school costs, AL.com reported. Rodrigo was reacting after Causey posted a video about her struggles fitting in and meeting her expenses while juggling school and work responsibilities.
“I wasn’t asking for people to pay for it, I wasn’t asking for pity, I was just being honest,” Causey said.
A University of Alabama senior’s honest TikTok account led to an unexpected private message from Olivia Rodrigo. https://t.co/jzIvHcG2l9
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 19, 2026
By her senior year, Causey, 23 -- a resident of Alexander City, Alabama, who was raised by her grandparents and became the first member of her family to attend college -- was visibly torn as she prepared for a new semester.
She did not belong to a sorority, and socially her experience did not compare with the social media posts she was seeing from other people.
“I started to wonder, is something wrong with me?” Causey said in an interview with “Today.” “I just felt like I was always struggling to fit in.”
Rodrigo, who had responded to a previous TikTok post by Causey wishing her a happy birthday, saw the emotional video and sent a message, “Today” reported.
@jamiemcausey New semester here we come #bama #ua #bamarush #college #selfesteem #relatable #fyp #foryoupage #foru #yourenotalone #senioryear ♬ original sound - Jamie 🤍
Rodrigo reached out privately to Causey.
“Hi girl! I know you don’t know me but I love your videos so much,” Rodrigo wrote, according to a message Causey shared with “Today.” “You seem like the coolest gal and you are such a source of positivity and light in my life!”
At that point, the singer made Causey an offer she could not refuse.
“I’d love to help out if you were at all open to that?” she wrote. “So cool that you are so close to graduating! Do you have a Venmo I could send to?”
“My hands were shaking as I read it,” Causey told the news outlet.
Rodrigo ultimately contributed $5,000 toward Causey’s final semester, according to Causey. That was in April 2025. Causey kept the generous donation private until now because she did not want to cause fanfare; however, she believed the time had come to publicly thank the singer.
@jamiemcausey Thank you for everything @Olivia Rodrigo @allison kuch @ophelia 🦋 @ParisHilton @West Wilson #fyp #bama #oliviarodrigo #contentcreator ♬ original sound - Jamie 🤍
“Because I’m closing this chapter, I didn’t want to leave without saying thank you,” Causey said on TikTok.
Causey walked the stage to receive her diploma in May 2025, according to “Today.”
“I think I blacked out,” she told the news outlet.
After graduating, Causey remained at Alabama, where she now works as an academic adviser.
She told “Today” that her advice to students is that struggling in college does not mean it always leads to failure.
“You don’t know what your story is going to look like a week from now, a year from now,” she said. “So keep going.”
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