Álvaro Chavarriaga decided to return to university in the midst of a pandemic. Her hours at work had already been cut, and although she received financial aid, the money was not enough.
“Financial obligations continued, because you had to pay rent, you had to look for food, you had to pay other financial obligations on many occasions,” details this Hispanic student.
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And it’s thanks to a $ 15 million fundraising campaign launched by LaGuardia Community College that students like Álvaro could get the help they need.
The bell Tomorrow or Tomorrow He already has $ 5 million after a donation. Now the university is asking for donor help to reach the goal through the website: laguardia.edu/tomorrow
This fund would help students who have lost their jobs or those facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic. The funds will be used for scholarships and other expenses such as books, public transportation, and even the payment of the student’s rent.
Kenneth Adams is the president of LaGuardia Community College: “What we want to do is solve financial problems for LaGuardia students so that money is not an obstacle to their success here at the college”.
About 30,000 students flock to LaGuardia. Most are immigrants and first-generation students who earn less than $ 30,000 annually. A student who receives financial aid is more likely to graduate depending on the university. Thanks to this fund a student can receive between $ 500 to $ 2,000 dollars and would benefit up to 20,000 students. The funds will be distributed regardless of immigration status.
“Everyone is very welcome here at LaGuardia and we offer that special financial aid, beyond the typical scholarships,” Adams details.
For his part, Chavarriaga says that this money will be used to cover his academic expenses such as buying his books and paying the rent debt: “The help is incredible, it is too much. Because -for one as a student- any dollar that you save or whatever dollar they bring to you, it changes a lot for you. “
Students will not have to apply for this aid, the LaGuardia financial aid office will determine which students are most in need for and will be delivering this aid directly to them.
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