I call troll, this idea is just too ****ing stupid to be genuine (especially the bit about an IB funding you to do a research project O_o).
Though to give a fair answer to the question, it's a blatantly terrible idea. PhDs are very difficult and exhausting, and unless you're rich you're gonna have severe financial difficulties too and end up having to take on lots of extra work. I'm gonna be honest, most of the PhD students at my uni look like they're having a hellish time.
This not like A-levels/undergrad where you can just scrape through on exams, a PhD is a work of original research!