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For students hoping to study abroad, the $110 cost of a passport often presents a problem.

One �������� 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 , Stephanie Smith, �������� State assistant professor and Director of Global Initiatives for the College of Communication (CCI), is using social media to recruit donors for the .

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 �������� 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.

�������� 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.