Students plead for college financial help online

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Cyndee Fontana | Fresno Bee

Thousands of students are begging for financial sponsors on the Internet as they test new ways to help pay for a college degree.

On the website SponsorMyDegree.com, students from the San Joaquin Valley and around the country have posted personal pleas and profiles in hopes of finding patrons willing to kick in a few bucks.

Experts say such pitches are one new angle for college students reacting to rising fees, cuts in state aid programs and the growing competition for financial aid.

Haley Chitty, spokesman for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in Washington, D.C., said officials are seeing record numbers of aid applications. But students also are pursuing other paths, such as online appeals and nontraditional loan programs that pool contributions from multiple donors.

Read the complete story at fresnobee.com

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