In 2008, Henner Mohr and his wife Lilac found themselves in a situation familiar to many college students: in debt and wondering how they would pay it off.
The couple started thinking outside of the box and decided to create a website asking for money from strangers.
Now, students looking for a way to pay off debt can turn to their site, sponsormydegree.com, to “cyber beg.” The site allows students to create personal profiles that include short essays pitching themselves to potential donors.
In one profile, a U. Kansas student wrote, “After I complete my undergraduate degree and finish graduate school, I would like to become a psychologist where I assist families, children and individuals with their psychological needs.”
Another KU student’s profile says, “I come from a low-income family, so I’m frequently applying for scholarships. I’ve clocked 100 hours of volunteer service at our hospital, I work 20 hours a week and I’m involved in numerous school sports and activities.”
When the Mohrs first started the site, they thought companies would sponsor students to receive brand recognition. But Mohr said most of their donations have come from private donors whose attention is caught by something in a student’s profile.
“We’ve had a lot more success with individuals, regular people making donations to students on an individual-to-individual basis,” Mohr said. “They read their profiles and they’re touched by something.”
The largest donation a student has received at one time was $500. Mohr said in most cases donations will be between $20 and $150, and students can receive more than one donation. Still, Mohr said, ‘cyber begging’ wasn’t guaranteed to pay off.
“Not everyone receives donations and there’s far more students who need help,” Mohr said.
There are currently 10,000 student profiles on the site and that number continues to grow. The money donated goes directly toward the student’s tuition after the Mohrs confirm that the student is currently enrolled and has debt to pay off. They verify the student’s information by calling his or her University and student debtor.
Mohr said that he considers the site a success even though none of the students receive a large sum of money. He doesn’t mind that people refer to his site as cyber begging.
“Cyber begging is fine as a title, I’ve heard that a lot,” Mohr said. “These students are technically begging for money, anything that can help them.”