"Maybe I'll just be a stripper," I overheard as two girls walked through campus. As the upcoming spring semester approaches quickly, thoughts of how young adults and their families are going to pay for college begin.
While there are many options of payment for a further education, there are always still costs to the individual. Even with help from FAFSA, several students will end up with hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt from their student loans. Normally this wouldn't be problematic, as their degree would obtain them a well-paying job with a salary that, over time, could be used to pay off this debt--even if that isn't ideal. However, today there is still a 7.2% unemployment rate of college graduates; these are students that furthered their education after high school and hold a degree over their pile of students loans which now seem impossible to pay off with their minimum wage job. The person flipping your burgers holds a bachelor's degree in history, your little league baseball coach studied music theory, and the nanny you hired to watch your children spent countless hours and dollars in a library to ace her economics class. While this employment rate has improved, it's still higher than it ever has been in the past.
So without a promised job after graduation, how can I pay off my debt? For years many female students have found themselves looking for job as "exotic dancers" as it paid well and would suffice for the career they weren't guaranteed. While other students judged these entrepreneurs, there was almost an understanding of female empowerment to take control over their bodies and pay for their education. Today, a more subtle and dangerous approach has begun. There are countless dating sites made for "sugar daddies", someone who pays a young girl to spend time with him, or be his arm candy. Many girls also find that this is easier, because they don't need to have a perfect body or even do anything and are still given money. Each sugar daddy and sugar baby relationship is different, but can be held confidential to the individual--something many female students enjoy as no one needs to know, but this can lead to dangerous situations.
While many sugar daddies claim to not desire a sugar baby for sexual desires, but solely for company, many fail to realize that they are still put in a dangerous position when being alone with an unknown older man. Not all sugar daddies have poor intentions, but it is undoubtedly a way for predators to lure in unsuspecting, desperate college students. As far as paying off their debt, many who do find themselves with a sugar daddy have successfully paid for tuition, with stories headlining about how they went to college for almost free because they went on dates with a 60-year-old man.
Having a sugar daddy can be a successful way to pay for school, but it is vital to be safe and aware of the dangers while doing so. Students should not have to be so desperate for money to pay student loans in the first place, and this dilemma could be solved with a stronger economy. Until that happens, happy hunting and stay safe.
