Woman Donates Eggs for Rent Money

"It's great for our patients who are looking for educated individuals; and graduate students often have more flexibility in their schedules," she said.

At her clinic, donors receive $6,000 for the first donation, $7,000 for the second and $8,000 for the third.

Clinics on the West Coast have noted a similar trend, said Shelly Smith, director of the Egg Donor Program in Los Angeles.

"We always hope people are donating for altruistic reasons, but we know money is part of it, too. We are seeing more people looking to donate and we've definitely gotten more inquiries through the Internet recently than ever before," Smith said.

Despite the economic meltdown, clinics said they have not seen a downturn in the number of women looking to receive donor eggs.

Von Halle said insurers in Illinois are required to pick up the tab for fertilization treatments so money for recipients is not an issue there.

In most states, however, recipients have to pay out-of-pocket for treatments. That cost, according to Smith, has not stopped patients from seeking to get pregnant.

"In California, insurance almost never covers these treatments even though they are enormously expensive. It is not something that women and couples hoping to get pregnant see as an option. People want to build families, and they don't think of it as a luxury," she said.

She added, "This isn't like people deciding not to buy that new car. People feel very deeply about this and are willing to pay the money."

In California, she said, donors are typically paid $7,000 for their first donation. Fees for a recipient can exceed $50,000.

Smith said another impact of the weak economy on the ova industry was that more foreigners were looking to the United States to purchase eggs.

"Now that the dollar is so weak, recipients from overseas can afford to come here. We've heard from many people overseas in Australia, the U.K. and Europe," Smith said. "The euro stretches much further now, and people who could not afford previously to come here, now think it's a deal."