Thousands of cash-strapped female students are paying off loans and fees by signing up to a sleazy dating website where they are paired off – with rich men.
Students are signing up to the ‘sugar daddy’ dating website in a bid to find a wealthy suitor to pay their tuition fees in return for ‘companionship.’
The girls, known as ‘Sugar Babies’, are promised the opportunity to earn up to £3000-a-month to accompany men – some older than their fathers – to restaurants and functions, as well as on weekends away and nights in hotels.
The founder of Seeking Arrangement, Brandon Wade, claims 1.4 million profiles on his website belong to students worldwide, with the University of Westminster being the top college for new British sign-ups last year.
Speaking to student newspaper The Tab, Brandon said: “Love is a concept made up by poor people.
“At a time when graduates are guaranteed debt rather than a well-paying job, or even employment for that matter, Sugar Daddies are sought out for opportunity and not just financial stability.
“Four in 10 graduates struggle to find work, while three-quarters won’t be able to pay off debt.
“Sugaring not only aids in the cost of pursuing an education, but a large majority of these men and women will have a more solid financial situation upon graduation-maybe even a job.”
According to their figures, the average sugar baby spends their allowance on rent, books and tuition fees.
Top 20 British Universities for new recruits to the dating site
1 University of Westminster -180
2 University of Kent – 134
3 University of Cambridge – 127
4 University of Nottingham – 116
5 University of Exeter – 106
6 University of Leeds – 96
7 University of Manchester – 94
8 University of St. Andrews – 88
9 London School of Economics – 85
10 Queens University of Belfast – 84
11 Goldsmith University of London – 79
12 Glasgow Caledonian University – 76
13 University of Central Lancashire – 71
14 King’s College London – 70
15 Middlesex University – 68
16 University of Bristol – 67
17 University of Arts London – 57
18 University of Portsmouth – 54
19 University of Essex – 52
20 University of South Wales – 51