Pay College Debt with Service?

Who knew? There are organizations that will help you pay off your college loans in exchange for the kind of service activities that Niagara University students have been doing all along--and are likely to want to continue doing after graduation.

Here's one that started me digging for more information: http://sponsorchange.org/. They are on Facebook and LinkedIn.

I cannot say that I've vetted the organization thoroughly. That is, I'm not endorsing it (nor am I warning you away from it). But I have done a bit of further digging, looking for reputable news or blog outlets that have something to say. And I am pleased that they seem to check out on these reputable sites:

• http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/08/25/lend-a-hand-pay-a-loan-volunteering-with-sponsorchange-org-cut/
• http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/sep2009/bs20090910_636521.htm
• http://www.blackenterprise.com/news/volunteer-your-way-out-of-student-debt/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/21/student-debt-volunteering_n_4825274.html

Further, I tried Googling the organization's name along with keywords like "complaint," "reviews," "scam"--and did not find anything negative (although my search was, I admit, brief).

By the way, I first saw the information here: http://www.takepart.com/article/2014/02/19/how-volunteer-and-pay-your-student-loan-debt-same-time

These folks seem interesting too; from their website: "TakePart is a place for people who care about the world and want to live their lives accordingly. We feature original articles by journalists, activists, and experts about everything from climate change to LGBTQ rights to whether Big Macs should technically be considered food."