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More than 400 current or prospective Kent State University students have sought funds to ease the costs of college on the GoFundMe website.
(Kent State University)
CLEVELAND, Ohio - As student debt soars, college students are seeking donations to cover tuition, books and study abroad expenses through GoFundMe, the fundraising website says.
In the last three years, more than 130,000 people have raised $60 million from 850,000 donations for college tuition and related expenses, said the company, which hosts personal pleas for money, for just about anything. Donations are not tax deductible.
The average college graduate owes more than $30,000, according to reports.
Students often can't fathom the ramifications of their debt and so may borrow too much or put off paying it back.
So they turn to friends, family and others to help them cover the costs, GoFundMe said.
Ohio ranked 10th among states with 4,225 campaigns raising a total of $1.6 million from 26,000 donations.
The site listed 2,812 results for college tuition. Under "education and learning," 1,212 results were found for Ohio.
Public colleges in Ohio had the most requests, with 527 from Ohio University, 409 from Kent State University, 298 from Ohio State University, 286 from the University of Akron and 143 from Cleveland State University.
A Solon woman raised $1,745 of her $4,105 goal in March 2015 to take summer courses at CSU, her site shows.
A Cuyahoga Falls man was just $60 short of his $3,100 goal in October to fund his last semester at Kent State. He received a $1,600 anonymous donation. The glass major offered glass gifts for different donor levels.
While many campaigns raise several hundred to several thousand dollars, some, especially if they have received media attention, far exceed their goal.
Some of the most successful campaigns are memorials.
A fund created in memory of Reagan Tokes, an Ohio State University student who was fatally shot on Feb. 9, has raised $88,450 for a scholarship in her honor.
GoFundMe charges 7.9 percent from each donation received, with 5 percent to for company operations, 2.9 percent for payment processing and 30 cents per donation.
The company has created a guidebook with tips on those in college or seeking to go to college can best publicize their plight, including what to include in the request and how to share the request on social media.