With the high cost of tuition, students often find inventive and sometimes morally grey solutions to pay for school. Dating a sugar daddy is one of the options for women.

Money is tight for most students. Going on a date in exchange for monthly allowances of thousands of dollars could be worth it for young women.

Sure that amount of money is appealing, but it’s unfortunate that for some students, their education is costing them their bodies.

Young women become a part of this lifestyle through the help of various sugar daddy online services. Some sugar babies would even consider them to be like any other dating site.

The difference between these sites and others like eHarmony.com is the users. Typically older, well-to-do men create profiles as sugar daddies to date young female sugar babies in exchange for money.

According to seekingarrangement.com, the typical age range is men in their 30s to late 60s seeking women usually 18-25 years old.

Female college students made up 44 percent of the site’s total number of users in a 2012 report. This isn’t surprising with how expensive college tuition can be.

Despite the fact that sugar daddies have been around for decades, I never realized how many women in college were using these services.

That was until friends of mine admitted to using these sites. Of course I had my concerns as there are risks that come with this kind of lifestyle.

Keeping emotions in check

A sugar daddy and sugar baby relationship is supposed to provide a drama-free, fun and simple experience for both parties.

At first this may seem easy to manage. However, spending a significant amount of time with another person sexually can make it hard to not develop feelings.

Feelings of attachment seem natural when another person is showing interest in supporting the other’s education.

However, sugar daddies typically avoid long-term attachments that could eventually hurt those who develop feelings.

STDs

Sexual intimacy might not be the total focus of these arrangements, but it’s still important to set boundaries and limits.

While being a sugar baby sounds similar to prostitution, no one in the relationship is entitled to sex. Refraining could save many from dealing with sexually transmitted diseases.

Affecting relationships with others

I know firsthand how friendships with people who chose this lifestyle can change.

It isn’t easy to admit to being a sugar baby, and maybe this is because the stigma attached brings plenty of judgment.

Lying becomes easier for women who don’t want to reveal they have been moonlighting. This can distance them from their loved ones as they try to keep up two lifestyles.

Applying for student loans or a job might not seem as appealing as receiving thousands of dollars for a simple date. But the reality is it might not really be that simple.

Veronica De La Cruz could be reached at [email protected] or @Veronica_dlc on Twitter