Mom Begs for College Tuition on Street Corner

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. A Mom in Michigan is taking that to heart and proving just how tough she is when it comes to paying her daughter’s college tuition. Lori Truex, a school bus driver from Battle Creek, Michigan, has spent her summer off panhandling for college tuition in her hometown for her youngest daughter to attend Michigan State University. Utilizing a sign on a street corner, the dedicated Mom has made it her full-time job to essentially beg for money. So far, she has made nearly $3,000 as well as over $5,000 through GoFundMe, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer and her fundraising page. Truex’s GoFundMe page states that her fundraising efforts are a social experiment. She wants to see whether or not people are willing to give to a 4.0 student, just as they are willing to give when they see others in need standing on a street corner. Except in this case, good Samaritans will know for a fact that their money is going to a worthy cause. To help support her daughter’s case, Truex is armed with her daughter’s graduation photo, high school transcripts, community college transcripts, acceptance letter from MSU and financial aid package. She’s also included her work ID to show that she is in fact a working Mom who is trying to go the extra mile to help her daughter, as reported by the Battle Creek Enquirer. Her daughter was first accepted to MSU two years ago, but the family was not able to afford tuition and received no financial aid. Rather than take on student loan debt as they did with their oldest daughter, their youngest daughter opted to attend her local community college for two years. Now, she’s ready to transfer to Michigan State to finish her degree, according to Truex’s GoFundMe page. Since launching her campaign in early June, Truex and her family have been overwhelmed with support. Truex told the Battle Creek Enquirer, “I truly feel so blessed. Everyone has been so kind, so generous. The fact that we were able to cover the first semester tuition is just amazing.” But Truex isn’t finished panhandling just yet – she’s already setting her sights on the spring semester tuition bill. You can give to Lori Truex’s GoFundMe and follow her journey on Twitter.