Most strippers are in the game for the $$$; not b/c the like stripping; that much is probably obvious – meaning if they can get an alternate form of $$$ w/o having to strip then many will take advantage of that situation.
In the mid-2000s prior to joining TUSCL and while I lived in Dallas I naively tried to help out a stripper get her life together – she was not a drug-user nor a drinker (never saw her under the influence or any signs of it); she had just made poor decisions in her young life …
Anyway - I was making very good $$$ back then (close to 6 figures & I was single and lived in a 1-bedroom apt) and I was helping her out for a while (had plenty of disposable income back then) – she quit dancing and told me she was in school.
I subsequently found out thru her sister (a bit of a long story) that it was all a lie and she was living w/ her abusive baby-daddy and not going to school while I was helping her out.
I have no doubt that many a dancer (or any person in general) may just need a helping hand and they’ll use any help given to try and better themselves – but I would not be surprised if many strippers get help from PLs (and other caring people; family; friends) and it’s either a scam or they don’t follow thru – many strippers just can’t make it on the outside even if they try (they are just not good at school or keeping a regular job) and many will outright scam good-willing PLs OTC just as they do ITC.
I took my stripper at her word that she was doing what she said she was doing (going to school, etc) although I did not demand evidence/proof that she was doing so and at the time I lived about 50 miles away from her and was very busy at the time for me to be too involved in her daily life.