For students hoping to study abroad, the $110 cost of a passport often presents a problem.
One Kent State professor is going to extreme measures to help alleviate the expense, which between tuition and textbooks is sometimes too much for students’ tight budgets.
To show her commitment to #GivingTuesday, Stephanie Smith, Kent State assistant professor and Director of Global Initiatives for the College of Communication (CCI), is using social media to recruit donors for the CCI First Passport Fund.
Through a series of Facebook videos, Smith has requested donations from colleagues, students and alumni in all of her networks - and she shocked friends and colleagues by agreeing to completely shave her head if donations reach her goal of $5,000 by Nov. 28, 2017.
“Giving to the First Passport Fund is a wonderful way to invest in Kent State Students,” Smith said. “Every dollar collected goes directly to a passport: a first-time passport.”
The fund reimburses students who obtain their first passport before studying or interning abroad.
Kent State kicked off #GivingTuesday on Nov. 1 with a list of featured programs requesting donations. For every 15 unique donations of $25 or more, the programs will receive an additional $500. The First Passport Fund is one of the featured programs for 2017.
“Give what you can to the passport fund by November 28 and watch my hair fly,” Smith said.