A University of Michigan-Flint student hopes to use his graduation cap to take a bite out of his education debt.

Alex Benda, of St. Clair, told the Detroit Free Press he wants to cash in on the 10-by-10-inch hat by selling ad space in 1-inch squares on top for $300 each. If he sells 100 squares, he'll have wiped out his about $30,000 in student loans, he said.

"I realized that I would have the eyes of every graduating student and their families on me as I walked across the stage to accept my diploma," he wrote on his website. "You can advertise on it, give a shout out, put a quote, a silly image of your cat, practically anything! All while helping a graduating college student start his life without student debt."

The 22-year-old international business major is scheduled to graduate in a few months. He said it's "scary" to think about trying to find a job while having so much debt.

As of midday Monday, he had raised more than $1,200 online from 12 backers -- but no square buyers had yet to make a pledge.

"I have gained so much from my education that I hope to help others with their goal of going to college, but right now I appreciate any help," he said in his posting. "I graduate May 4thm so time is running out!"

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT