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Nicki Minaj is paying several Twitter followers’ school tuition

It’s no secret that many celebrities use social media to their benefit. From reaching potential fans to promoting albums and concerts to making themselves seem more “human” with candid posts and pics, social media is essentially a free advertising giant when it comes to Hollywood. Sometimes, however, celebrities will surprise us and use their social media accounts for something better: helping their fans. Chrissy Tiegen recently paid for one of her fans to go to beauty school.

Musician Nicki Minaj is the latest to join a growing list of celebrities using social media to do good in the world. What started as a contest giving her 20 million Twitter followers the chance to join Minaj at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas quickly turned into the rapper accepting a challenge from a fan to instead pay his college tuition.

https://twitter.com/cjbydesign/status/861073053312307200

Soon, Minaj was responding to multiple fans, promising money for classes, books and supplies. At first, she said her fans had to have a 4.0 grade point average to participate in the challenge. She said she’d  keep up her end of the bargain if fans got good grades.

But when one fan told her she only needed $1,000 to cover three classes, Minaj threw out her rule and agreed to help her, too. “That’s it?” she Tweeted. “I’ll send it tmrw. dm me ur bank info babe. Next!”

Minaj didn’t stop there, continuing to Tweet fans and offer help. She told one fan she will pay $700 for an online class and another $500 for books and supplies.

One fan Tweeted that she is studying production in audiovisual media and needed a professional camera. Minaj stepped right up, asking how much the camera costs and saying, “of course” she’ll pay for it.

Minaj put an end to the giving spree by Tweeting, “Ok u guys. It’s been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left. I’ll do some more in a month or 2.”

A few months before the charitable act, Minaj passed Aretha Franklin for most “Hot 100” songs by a female artist in the Billboard Hot 100 history. Her net worth is estimated to be about $75 million. It’s nice to see her using some of that fortune to help people achieve their own dreams. Brava, Ms. Minaj!