Baseless theory time.
No way Burke just outright solves Maya's problem for her in the next episode. It's too early in the game for her to have this issue solved, this plot element has only worn out it's welcome twice over and I predict at least 8 fold being required before it dies. Similarly, his rejecting her can't just be a dead end plot wise... No way this season opens with him saying no and everyone just shrugging their shoulders and moving on.
So when he says "no" it has to go somewhere and saying no could raise questions from Jade. My theory is Stephen is currently using the scholarships from local businesses to pay for the restaurant girls. They, as part of the deal, have to sleep with the people funding the scholarships outlined in the newspaper article. When Maya comes to the Burkes Jade would be aware of the scholarships but not the "extras" the girls have to provide and suggest it could fund Maya. Burke cant reveal what the girls have to do in exchange so he has to reject the idea, making Jade suspicious.
By making the system Stephen is using to pay for the girls a legitimate route to tuition payments it could tie Maya into the overarching Burke/Quinn plotline and this can kick off it's potential exposure. At the moment she's a bit of a loose thread. She can't just be written out for everyone not on her route and DPC can't sustain endless storylines. It would clean up the story to just shunt Maya's tuition storyline (and by proxy Josy who is nothing but a tag along) over to the stronger, universally available, Burke/Quinn story arc. If it's established that getting to the bottom of that situation resolves her problem and fold the tuition bullshit into the Burke/Quinn arc and make the Maya/Josy romance route about (and bear with me, this will sound crazy) actually fucking romancing Maya and Josy! Only slight stumbling block would be whether Jade could source a legitimate scholarship for Maya but it isn't insane that some of the donations are legitimate, it cant all be guys buying sex.
This is just a theory but it seems win/win. Maya finally get's the spotlight taken off her and maybe can do more character development rather than carrying the anchor that is "I need tuition"... This would also make Quinn/Maya directly oppose one another. They've been openly hostile since day one but they currently have nothing over one another. If Maya needs Quinn exposed to get tuition it means if the MC supports her it would ruin Quinn (and potentially removes the tuition of Riona, Camilla and Sarah/Mel). Conversely on the Quinn route, you could have to cover for her and by proxy fuck Maya over. This adds weight to the consequences and logically makes their routes oppose one another (unlike Bella being locked out for fucking Cathy or Jade being locked out for being with Maya/Josy that is just arbitrary).
Every route benefits from this, the writing is easier and choices we made thus far have fuck all influence on it working so it works as a serviceable "common route" alongside whatever is going on with the MC's maternal family. Certainly better than Maya continuing to rotate her entire fucking character around needing tuition.
