Tuition at NYU has gotten a bit ridiculous and Max Stephenson wants you to pay his. Well, $2.50 of it. In the weeks before school began, Max, a freshman, sent an email to friends, family members, and tangential aquaintences, asking them for a small contribution to his tuition fund and promising every contributor a piece of his graduation gown four years from now.

Asked to comment about the success of his plan, which has garnered more than $5,000 in two weeks, Stephens said, “I was confident there were a lot of nice people out there who believe in kids and their education. Thankfully, I was right. Looks like I’m going to be a (gownless) NYU graduate!”

Interested in throwing your $2.50 into Max’s hat? Contact him at mstephenson@AccessHybrid.org