Why More Students Are Turning To GoFundMe To Pay For College

An increasing number of students who are struggling to afford tuition are now turning to crowdfunding. According to Inside Higher Ed, popular crowdfunding site GoFundMe revealed that the platform has seen a 20 percent increase in the number of fundraisers for tuition over the past year.

Why are more students turning to crowdfunding to pay tuition?

Students are seeking help to pay tuition as they struggle to survive in a time where the economy as a whole is declining. The rising costs of basic necessities, along with declines in social services, is ultimately making it difficult for students to afford their education. Students are also facing a greater challenge due to policy changes in federal loans.

Even with private loans available, many students still can’t afford tuition. According to Inside Higher Ed, about four in 10 students don’t qualify for private loans. The data also reveals that many students are reluctant to take loans at this time.

Peter Granville, a senior fellow at the Century Foundation, said there are several hurdles for students to qualify for loans.

“Even if someone has tapped into all of their federal student loans and they’ve done everything right in terms of federal financial aid, they may still have this gap that they’re hoping GoFundMe can try to fill,” Granville said, per Inside Higher Ed. “In many circumstances, it could be people who have done everything they can loan-wise and they truly are at the cliff of potentially having to drop out.”

What are students saying about struggling to pay tuition?

Njideka Ekwuru, who attends the University of California, San Diego, is among the increasing number of students who are struggling to afford tuition. Ekwuru said she found herself in trouble when she made a mistake filling out the application for Federal Student Aid as she tried to complete the process without help from her high school counselors. When she was unable to get financial aid, Ekwuru said she had to ask her father to help her pay for school.

“That wasn’t feasible at all, because even though I was getting my school [paid for], I knew that in order to get that money, my siblings probably couldn’t have enough food to eat when they’re at home or my dad couldn’t pay his bills,” Ekwuru said, per Inside Higher Ed. “Even though he’s trying to make it sound fine … I knew that at one point, one of us would be deprived.”

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