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This Montreal Man Camped for a Year to Save Money During School

Evan Eames found a creative solution to the outrageous rent he would have to pay to study in England.
Photo of the camper via his Facebook

Read: Here's What You Should Do if You're Buried Under Private Student-Loan Debt

Studying abroad is wildly expensive, as Montreal student Evan Eames knew when he was accepted to a master's astrophysics program at England's University of Manchester. Tuition for international students amounts to roughly $30,000 per year. Eames thought his British citizenship would cut tuition costs, but when he found out that only applies to people who have lived in England for at least three years, he decided to drastically reduce one other cost: housing.

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His initial request, made online, asked for space in someone's yard to pitch a tent as well as fridge space for food and an extension cord run through the yard. After receiving some less-than-amiable feedback, Eames cut back what he was asking for and got a response from Manchester resident Charley Mantack.

"I loved telling people about it, I like weird, out of the ordinary things like that," Mantack told the Manchester Evening News.

Mantack offered Eames a space on her property in exchange for tutoring in math and science. She left school before graduating in order to care for her siblings, and is currently studying for her high school equivalency. Eames has been tutoring her twice a week and, while her exam results aren't going to be in for another month, she's been making top marks.

Eames was an experienced camper before he undertook this unorthodox living arrangement, which is in part how he came up with the idea. "I thought to myself… 'I bet I could do that for a little longer,'" he told the Canadian Press. "Even if I only did it for a month or two and then I decided it wasn't working, I would still have saved substantially."

Mantack intends to continue her education after receiving the results of her final exams. She plans to do the British A-level exams and then go into university to study science.

After tenting in Mantack's yard for the better part of a year, Eames will be moving back into "a building with heat and running water." He's also continuing his education, moving onto a PhD. The Paris Observatory is covering the costs of Eames's next degree, including room and board.

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