What if K-State could ensure every student can stay in school — and graduate — regardless of what life throws their way? That’s where emergency funds come into play.
College students work hard for their degrees, but sometimes life throws them a curveball that upends all their hard work. Car repairs, medical bills or maxed-out scholarship eligibility create financial hurdles that some just can’t overcome without help.
“It was my final year of college, and it was looking like I was going to have to temporarily drop out. I was devastated,” said Stella Mattingly, a pre-law major. “I learned about the Last Mile Fund, and suddenly I didn’t have to put my life on hold.”
The fund was started by Kit Wheatley, who felt compelled to address a need she learned about through her sister, Alison Wheatley, the assistant dean for academic and student issues in the College of Arts and Sciences at the time. “I heard from my sister about trying to help students who were caught in some unexpected emergency. It was maddening, because many times a pretty small amount of money would solve the problem,” Kit said. “I wanted to create a fund where the money could be awarded to students quickly, so all they’d worked for wouldn’t be lost.”
Getting to the finish line
There are a variety of emergency funds available to students — some specific to a college or department and some available to all across the university.
K-State Proud, the Student Foundation’s philanthropy, raises money to support Student Opportunity Awards. The SOA committee meets weekly to go through dozens of requests for emergency funds. “The most common requests we see are for medical bills and laptops,” said Abby Collins, the group’s VP of campaign allocation. “If we could, we would give awards to everyone.”
Help make sure emergencies aren’t a barrier to K-Staters finishing their degrees. You can give to an existing fund — or start your own.
How to support emergency funds
The Last Mile Fund ensures College of Arts and Science students have the resources they need in order to reach the finish line – graduation.
The fund supports undergraduate or graduate students who have demonstrated immediate financial need due to personal tragedy.
Led by the K-State Student Foundation, the K-State Proud campaign helps students by giving Student Opportunity Awards to those in need.
This award provides financial assistance for biology students who have demonstrated extreme financial need or who need temporary financial assistance.
