College Students Tuition Gaps, Leading To Raise In GoFundMe

For a growing number of college students, paying for school now means asking strangers, classmates and social media followers to help close the gap. GoFundMe has seen an increase of more than 20 percent in fundraisers for tuition and related education expenses over the past year, according to data the crowdfunding company provided to Inside Higher Ed. The jump offers another window into an affordability problem that extends well beyond a college’s tuition bill.

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Students are crowdfunding everything from tuition balances to housing and graduation expenses, according to Inside Higher Ed. Some campaigns followed job losses, medical bills, deaths in the family, or problems with expected financial aid. Others were launched because students simply could not cover what remained after their aid was applied.

The financial pressure is especially important because the sticker price of tuition tells only part of the story. According to College Board’s 2025 pricing data, average published tuition and fees for the 2025 to 2026 school year reached $11,950 for in-state students at public four-year universities and $45,000 at private nonprofit four-year schools.

Even students who receive enough grants to substantially reduce tuition can still face rent, food, transportation, books, technology, child care, and other expenses. College Board’s living expense guidance estimated a low 12-month living budget of $24,240 nationally for 2025 to 2026, rising to $26,150 for 2026 to 2027.

Source: Baller Alert