On Campus Blog

Desperate grad with $200,000 in debt has raised $2,000 with Web site

From the Let's-Raise-Money-Off-the-Internet-in-a-Goofy-Way Department:

Kelli Space, 23, a recent graduate of Northeastern University, is $200,000 in debt from her student loans.

So in desperation she launched a Web site -- twohundredthou.com, explaining how her naivete got her into this mess, and asked for donations.

She's taken her hits in various blogs and comments sections. People have accused her of having a sense of entitlement, shirking her responsibilities, asking for a bailout.

Commenter Kelly Saxmann:

the rest of us have to pay our own way too. you're no different simply because you're the first in your family (o wait, AND immediate family, as if that is suppose to make people feel bad for you)

the rest of us are struggling to pay off our debts too but we're expected to pay for yours as well?

i didn't get any help from the government but have to pay it all myself.

So far Space has raised just over $2,000, and has issued a rather sheepish-sounding note on her Web site, the crux of which is:

By all means, please donate to any of the many causes out there over me. I’m aware that my issue will remain an issue for some 20 years due to my own poor decision-making, and other immediate causes deserve any amount you can give. Please, do not think I expect anyone’s money, particularly over any other cause.

To put this into perspective, the Chronicle of Higher Education has an interesting piece on other students' odd efforts to deal with their debts.