Riverland Community College receives additional resources through a $39,700 grant to help low-income students weather financial emergencies. Students can apply for small grants to help cover expenses just beyond their means, which allows them to quickly return focus to their academic pursuits.

“The DASH Emergency Grant Program will help address short term financial emergencies for our students that might otherwise prevent them from attending classes or possibly ending their attendance for the semester, said Gary Schindler, Riverland dean of students. “Knowing that there are funds available for the unexpected household, medical, or transportation emergency will relieve the stress for students on a very tight budget.”

The student emergency grant program at Riverland is made possible by a $39,700 Dash emergency grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. Riverland is one of 31 community and technical colleges in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin that received a combined $1.5 million in Great Lakes grants to build emergency grant programs that help low-income students overcome financial obstacles that might otherwise cause them to drop out.

“Great Lakes is pleased to provide more resources to colleges like Riverland Community College that are dedicated to supporting students in times of greatest need,” said Richard D. George, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great Lakes. “Emergency grants are a bridge to college completion and the financial security a degree can provide.”

Riverland will begin making student emergency grants of up to $500 each in spring 2016. Qualified expenses will be paid within 48 hours of an approved application. Students also will be referred to additional campus, community, and financial literacy resources to supplement the grants, address root causes or contributing factors to the financial emergencies, and further support students’ persistence.

To serve greater numbers of students throughout the Great Lakes grant period and beyond, Riverland will contribute matching funds during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years. “Our shared commitment is key to making emergency grant programs sustainable long-term,” said Amy Kerwin, Vice President – Community Investments at Great Lakes.

The Riverland Community College Foundation established a crisis-emergency fund back in October 2012 to serve students in a short-term crisis so they can get past the financial bumps in the road and stay in college, according to Steve Bowron, Riverland dean for institutional advancement

“The DASH grant will help expand our program of support to students and broaden the scope of assistance, Bowron said. “Financial barriers are very problematic and the crisis-emergency funds help provide immediate relief for students who just need a little boost.”

Anyone interested in helping students through these short-term financial challenges may contact the Riverland Community College Foundation by calling 507-433-0630 to make a gift, or go online at MnGive.org and help us build hope, create dreams, and change lives!

Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, Great Lakes has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers—as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. The group’s earnings support one of the largest and most respected education philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed nearly $154 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.