A 22-year-old student has shocked everybody and caused a lot of online debating about morality when she announced that she was publicly auctioning her virginity so she can pay for her college education.

The student from San Diego, California, who is using the pseudonym Natalie Dylan, confessed that she had no moral dilemma concerning her decision, but, on the contrary, she finds it “empowering.”

She told the television show The Insider on Wednesday that she didn’t think auctioning her virginity could solve all of her problems, but it would certainly create “some financial stability.”

“I'm ready for the controversy, I know it will come along. I'm ready to do this,” she said. “We live in a capitalist society. Why shouldn't I be allowed to capitalize on my virginity?” she added.

She said that she would not necessarily choose the highest bidder, but someone “with chemistry,” and who is “a genuine, overall nice person.” The act will consummate at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Nevada’s famed legal brothel.

To prove she is still a virgin, Dylan is willing to submit to a polygraph test and a gynecological exam.

Dylan has earned a bachelor degree in women’s studies and now wants to start a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. She said she was aware she would be condemned by many people for her choice, but added that she was using what she had to better herself.

She hopes the bidding will hit $1 million.

Dennis Hof, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, showed his support for Dylan, saying that he thought it was “a tremendous idea.”

“Why lose it to some guy in the backseat of a Toyota when you can pay for your education?” he told reporters.