All the rage with the startup crowd and starving musicians, crowdsourced funding has now come to the University of California schools. Under a new campaign launched yesterday, the UC system allows smaller donors to pledge scholarship and financial aid funds in exchange for various tasks and publicity stunts carried out by students and celebrities alike.
To launch the six-week Promise for Education campaign, UC Regent Sherry Lansing has pulled everyone from student Regents to Jamie Foxx — who has pledged to perform a rap song in the characters of Bill Clinton and President Obama if his campaign reaches $20,000. He's over halfway to his goal so far.
Not every fundraising goal is so high, however, other students have offered to go vegetarian for a year or go bungee jumping if their fundraising goals are met. Governor Jerry Brown will even host a brown bag lunch for UC students at his Sacramento office if he pulls in ten grand.
After several years of rising tuition costs and UC budget cuts, at least one student was wary that the campaign was another attempt to push off costs onto college kids. Student regent Cinthia Flores told the AP she was skeptical of the campaign, but she was totally on board once she heard there would be celebrities involved. Flores has already raised 100% of her $1,000 goal and will be dressing as Superwoman for a day to show her appreciation.
