A college student has revealed that he has resorted to becoming a sugar baby during the partial government shutdown because he has been unable to obtain the documentation he needs to receive his much-needed financial aid for school.
Isaac, a 21-year-old from a small town in Arkansas, moved to Berea, Kentucky, this fall to start school, but his dreams of getting a college degree have been dashed in the wake of the shutdown, which is now in its 32nd day.
Fears that he will be unable to afford to continue his education has led him to sign up for Seeking.com, a controversial dating site that pairs attractive young sugar babies with rich, older benefactors.
Last resort: Isaac, a 21-year-old from a small town in Arkansas, has joined Seeking.com, a controversial dating site that pairs attractive young sugar babies with rich, older benefactors
The site has reported a 35 per cent increase in membership signups since the beginning of the government shutdown as many in Isaac’s position believe they don’t have any other options.
‘At some points, I thought I was overreacting, but at the same time, I wondered if this could knock me out of my financial aid or prevent me from continuing school in general,’ Isaac told DailyMail.com via email.
Hardship: The college student has been unable to obtain the documentation he needs to receive his financial aid for school due to the partial government shutdown
Although Isaac has already been approved for financial aid, his school’s finance office requires tax documents from the IRS to verify information on his FASFA. His father, who is too ill to work, collects social security and does not file taxes.
His bursar account is currently frozen because he has been unable to provide the necessary documentation due to the government shutdown.
Not only has he been unable to get his grades from last semester, but it has also prevented him from registering for classes this year.
Isaac blames President Donald Trump for the partial government shutdown, which has become the longest government shutdown in history.
He explained that he can’t afford enrollment at another school, so he has been left waiting around, hoping everything will work out.
His campus job doesn’t pay much and he hasn’t had any luck finding a side job. He even tried selling a painting he made but was unable to garner any interest in it.
The college freshman came across Seeking.com while searching for ways to make money to pay off his college debt.
‘I did research on this site, and I felt like it was legit, so I decided to try being a sugar baby and giving the site a shot after making myself a profile,’ he said.
Secret: Isaac admitted that he hasn’t told his family and friends that he is looking for a sugar momma on the site
Sugar baby woes: Isaac has only been on the site for a couple weeks and has yet to meet any benefactors aside from a ‘scammer’ he had to block
Isaac has only been on the site for a couple weeks and has yet to meet any benefactors aside from a ‘scammer’ he had to block. He admitted that he hasn’t told his family and friends that he is looking for a sugar momma.
‘I hinted that I was on the site, but I felt like I wasn’t ready to tell them,’ he said. ‘I don’t think they would care, but I felt like they might be a little shocked because they didn’t think I’d be interested in going on a dating site in the first place.
‘I’m keeping it a little secret for now.’
Although he joined Seeking.com as a last resort, he believes that he still would have signed up for the site because there is a part of him that is looking for a real relationship.
‘There is more to seeking than getting money from someone else,’ he said. ‘Now if I was rich, I would’ve signed up as a sugar daddy to help people out because there are many out there who are suffering like I am.’
Seeking.com’s growing number of signups led the site to investigate the cause by conducting a poll, which found the government shutdown was the sole reason for the sudden increase.
In a video message created by Seeking.com founder and CEO Brandon Wade, he slammed President Trump and called him out for his poor negotiating skills.
‘As the founder of a dating website for wealthy millionaires and billionaires, I believe it is important for Americans to differentiate between those who are great and ethical businessmen, from those who got ahead by lying and exploiting others,’ Wade told DailyMail.com in an email.
Desperate times: The site has reported a 35% increase in membership signups since the beginning of the government shutdown
Hitting back: Seeking.com founder Brandon Wade called out President Donald Trump in a recent video, explaining it is upsetting to see people joining his site out of desperation
‘I think it is important to speak up and point to the fact that our president may be the latter, which is why I made this video.’
Wade may encourage hypergamy, but he insisted that he is always concerned when people join his site because they are in a desperate situation.
‘It is incredibly upsetting that people join my websites because they have no other option in times like these, where the government shutdown has affected 800,000 American workers,’ he said.
‘It is never a good idea to be looking for a sugar daddy when one is desperate or in dire straits. No one can think clearly when they are vulnerable.
‘Vulnerability attracts sharks and that’s when people are most likely to be taken advantage of by salt daddies (fake sugar daddies) or scammers,’ he explained.
‘Successfully finding a sugar daddy requires patience and the ability to filter through those who may not be the right fit.’