Emily Stutz is a high school senior who has a nearly perfect GPA. She has received scholarships at every college she was accepted to, but they are still not enough to cover the cost of tuition for a full academic year.
Consequently, she has given up on her dreams of attending a private college to study pre-med and has focused her efforts on raising money to go to a state school.
“My parents have had immense financial struggles and simply cannot come with $20,000 [to] $30,000 a year, nor are they able to cosign a loan for me,” she explained. “I am at a loss. I see my dream of becoming a doctor slip further and further away as the days pass, so I’ve decided I am going to do whatever it will take to get myself to college.”
In just three days, the 18-year-old has raised more than $16,000 on a GoFundMe page. She hopes to reach $30,000 soon so she can make a decision about where she will be attending college in the fall.
And, more importantly, whether or not she’ll be able to afford to attend.
In a “social experiment,” Stutz decided to “panhandle” outside of a Lowell, Massachusetts, Target. She said, “If people will give to the ‘homeless’ panhandlers, then maybe they will consider sparing a dollar or some change to an aspiring doctor who has all the academic, but no financial means to attend college.”
In a GoFundMe page update, she said the day was “extremely successful” and she would be back again the following day.
You can donate to Emily’s college campaign here.
