Is Idaho Student Loan Debt A Valid Reason For GoFundMe?
Although it has its dark side, the Internet is an amazing tool. People use it to access information, date, manage businesses, perform occupational duties, purchase goods, book travel, teach, and raise money. GoFundMe has been the most popular platform for people to raise money for various causes for over a decade now, but there are some questionable fundraising efforts playing out on the website.
There are a number of causes that a person can attempt to raise money for through GoFundMe. The most common ones we often see are medical bills (humans and pets), deaths, travel/educational expenses, and student loan debt. From time to time, people are charged with crimes for creating fraudulent accounts. Numerous scams have also been successful at raising money from unsuspecting donors.
Student loan debt in 2022 reached an estimated $1.5 trillion, according to NerdWallet data. Students in America are asking strangers to help bail them out of debt through the fundraising website. One of President Joe Biden's current initiatives is pursuing relief for students that have amassed a certain amount of loan debt in the country.
As a borrower myself who at one time was more than $30,000 in debt, the idea doesn't bother me at all. I graduated in 2005 and still owe $6,000, but my loan type doesn't qualify me for forgiveness even though I've been paying for 17 years.
Are Idahoans sympathetic to students attempting to payoff this debt through platforms such as GoFundMe? Is this a valid enough reason to ask strangers to cash?