Corey Arvinger, Former Howard University Student, Crowdfunds To Crush His Student Debt, Return To School

Sure, $4 can’t buy you a college degree, but it could help return a creative Howard University student to the classroom.

Corey Arvinger, a 21-year-old Greensboro, N.C. native, told USA Today that he never expected to drop-out of school. The school of business major was forced to when he suddenly discovered that he owed the university $14,000 that he didn’t have. Arvinger said a miscommunication between the college and his family obscured a ruling that determined he was no longer eligible for the level of student aid he received.

Undergraduate and Law students who receive federal student aid must complete a minimum of 12 credits with a GPA of 2.01 or above with no drops, late drops and no failing grades, according to the Federal Student Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard.

Arvinger admits that he fell behind after involving himself too intensely in student life.

“...my time management was horrible,” he explained to USA Today. “I was very involved on campus, so I put my organizations before my school work.”

Now, his organization 4 For 14,000 could be what saves him. He started a Fundrazr account and a social media campaign around the hashtag #4for14000 to crowdsource donations so he can return to Howard. Fundrazr.com shows he’s making process with 2.6K already raised.

Arvinger explained in the project’s description, “The Bible says you have not because you ask not! Therefore, I am asking 4,000 people to contribute $4 to help me to reach my goal.”

The approach is novel amid a growing dropout crisis. Some 46 percent of America's college students and 63 percent of African American students don't graduate college within six years, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.