Candice Kashani graduated from law school debt-free this spring, thanks to a modern twist on an age-old arrangement. Now, almost three years and several sugar daddies later, Kashani is set to graduate from Villanova University free and clear, while some of her peers are burdened with six-digit debts.
As the cost of tuition and rent rises, so does the apparent popularity of such sites among students. But are they really providing financial relief, or signing women up for something more exploitative and dangerous than debt?
Lynn Comella, an associate professor of gender and sexuality studies at University of Nevada Las Vegas, said that it is not unusual for students to turn to sex work such as stripping, prostitution or webcam work to pay for school. But the sugar daddy sites are relatively new, and she says not entirely upfront about what they are really about. But experts say at the very least the internet has made these transactions far easier to arrange and negotiate. Kashani says she sifted through many potential suitors before finding one she clicked with.
She says she considers her sugar daddy one of her best friends and that they care deeply for each other. But unlike most relationships, she is paid a sizeable monthly allowance that helps her pay for school. One graduate student at Columbia University in New York had a scholarship that covered almost all of her tuition, but not her living expenses.
She spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the potential impact on her job prospects. But still she struggled to pay her rent and utilities, and her grades suffered. So she found herself surfing Craigslist and Backpage. Now she has two sugar daddies, one she sees occasionally and another who is more like a conventional boyfriend, except that he pays her a monthly allowance and helps rent her an apartment closer to him.
