Imagine pouring your heart into a university project worth 60% of your grade, only to have your slacker teammates demand credit for your solo hustle. One 19-year-old scholarship student shared a tale wilder than a frat party gone wrong: after his group ignored him for months, he told them they’d need to pay $100 each to get their names on his work.
Now, they’re blasting him on social media, and his friends are calling him out. Reddit’s buzzing with takes hotter than a deadline crunch. Want the juicy details? Dive into the original story below!
This saga is a chaotic clash of work ethic, desperation, and a risky cash grab. The Redditor’s fighting to protect his scholarship, but his teammates’ sudden interest in the project has him seeing dollar signs. Was he wrong to demand payment, or are his teammates the real slackers? Let’s unpack this academic showdown with a smirk and a syllabus.
When Teamwork Turns into a Pay-to-Play Fiasco
Group projects can feel like herding cats, but this Redditor’s story takes it to a whole new level of chaos. As a 19-year-old university student, he was stuck with three teammates who ghosted him for two months, leaving him to single-handedly tackle a project worth 60% of their grade.
With his scholarship on the line, he worked alone, only for his teammates to resurface days before the deadline, expecting credit. His response? A bold demand for $100 each to add their names, sparking outrage and social media rants. Bold move or big mistake? Let’s break it down.
The Redditor’s frustration is legit, his teammates’ lack of effort, as DiamondHeist1970 noted, left him doing the work of four. His scholarship’s at stake, and their radio silence was a slap in the face.
But asking for cash, as elsehwere and Just_Inator pointed out, crosses into dangerous territory. Not only is it unethical, but it’s also academic misconduct that could cost him his scholarship or even his place at university, as 43759479 warned.
Texting the demand? A rookie error that could haunt him if screenshots reach the professor. This mess reflects a broader issue: group project dysfunction. A 2023 study by the Journal of Higher Education found that 72% of students report uneven workload distribution in team assignments, often leading to resentment.
Dr. Susan McCahan, an education expert, notes, “Clear communication with instructors early can prevent group project disasters” (via Chronicle of Higher Education). The Redditor could’ve alerted his professor when his teammates went AWOL, as Sfb208 suggested, instead of going rogue with a paywall.
What’s the fix? He should submit the project under his name only, with evidence of his attempts to contact the team, and explain the situation to his professor. It’s not too late to own his work and avoid the bribery trap. For now, he’s learned a hard lesson in academic ethics.
What do you think—should he have failed his teammates outright, or was his cash demand a fair shot at justice?
Reddit user elsehwere labels everyone involved as Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), acknowledging the original poster’s (OP) justified frustration with their group’s lack of effort but criticizing their attempt to extort money for a passing grade.
Just_Inator deems the situation Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), agreeing that the original poster (OP) was right to be upset with their non-contributing group but condemning their extortion attempt as both unethical and risky.
Reddit user verminousbow declares the original poster (OP) You’re The Asshole (YTA), warning that offering grades for money could lead to serious academic consequences if reported to administration, highlighting the recklessness of OP’s actions.
An anonymous commenter labels the situation Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), criticizing the original poster (OP) for risking academic misconduct by seeking payment for group work, recommending that OP submit the project under their own name and explain the situation to faculty to avoid jeopardizing their scholarship.
![[Reddit User] − ESH - just submit it under your own name and explain to the faculty. You’re committing academic misconduct if you receive payment for doing work for someone else, and if you cared about your scholarship you wouldn’t do that. You could be tossed out of college wholesale if the faculty found out.](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/44030-16.jpg "Scholarship Student Finishes 60% Final Alone, Then Tells Freeloading Teammates: “Pay Me or Fail”")
DiamondHeist1970 advises the original poster (OP) to have submitted their work individually with evidence of their attempts to contact the non-contributing group members, suggesting that ignoring the group’s messages would have been a wiser approach than engaging with them.
An anonymous commenter finds the original poster’s (OP) situation ironic, criticizing their failure to address the group’s lack of effort with the university during the two-month project period, labeling everyone involved as Everybody Sucks Here (ESH) and warning that extortion could cost OP their university place.
![[Reddit User] − What I find funny about all this is that in these stories, nobody thinks to go see their tutor before it all becomes an issue. You had two months to bring this up with the university. Two months to talk to the tutor, two months.](https://dailyhighlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/44030-18.jpg "Scholarship Student Finishes 60% Final Alone, Then Tells Freeloading Teammates: “Pay Me or Fail”")
Reddit user Epsilon_Meletis calls the situation Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), questioning the original poster’s (OP) decision to text an extortion offer, which could jeopardize their scholarship if reported, and expressing hope that the group doesn’t escalate the issue to the professor.
Simple-Television221 deems everyone Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), condemning the group for not contributing to the project and the original poster (OP) for attempting to profit from their work, urging OP to report the issue to the professor instead of risking academic trouble with bribery.
Reddit user Sfb208 labels the situation Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), noting that the original poster (OP) mishandled a significant assignment by not addressing their group’s lack of effort with the professor early on, putting their scholarship at risk with an ill-advised extortion attempt.
43759479 calls the situation Everybody Sucks Here (ESH), acknowledging the group’s failure to contribute but criticizing the original poster (OP) for attempting bribery, which risks expulsion, and suggesting OP include the group’s names on the project to avoid further escalation.
A Grade-Grubbing Gamble
This Redditor’s project drama is a wild ride through academic pressure and ethical missteps. Was he wrong to demand $100 per teammate for project credit, or were his slacker teammates begging for a fail?
Should he risk his scholarship to teach them a lesson, or come clean to his professor? How would you handle a team that leaves you high and dry?
Drop your hot takes below!
