ECC Foundation aims to raise $100k for Student Success Fund

With the start of the fall 2020 semester, the Elgin Community College Foundation is launching the Student Success Fund, an initiative meant to provide relief funding to students who face financial barriers as a result of the pandemic.

With the success of the recent Emergency Student Relief Fund in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in assisting students, the foundation wants to provide support for those students who aren't yet on solid financial footing.

"As the pandemic and economic crisis wears on, more and more students need financial assistance so they can focus on their education," said David Davin, ECC Foundation executive director. "The community graciously came together to support the students during this crisis, and we're hoping we can continue to grow this effort through the Student Success Fund to help our students navigate the unprecedentedly challenging year of education ahead."

Starting strong

The fund, which supports students in need of technology or who are otherwise struggling financially due to the effects of the pandemic, began with $40,000 thanks to generous leadership gifts from the EFS Foundation, the Motorola Solutions Foundation, and the Union Pacific Foundation.

The Student Success Fund is the primary fundraising focus for the foundation this year, and as such, all employees, alumni, and community members are asked to consider supporting ECC's students.

In a short time frame, ECC faculty helped transition nearly 9,000 students to alternative online learning formats.

The college also provided technology support, such as free loaner Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hot spots to students.

With the pandemic financially impacting every industry, students are also dealing with unemployment, underemployment, and even tighter budgets.

The Student Success Fund offers a flexible funding source for ECC to meet the many needs students have during this unusual crisis.

Expanding reach

While there are a variety of funding sources available to colleges and universities, Davin explained that funds provided to the relief fund offer the foundation the most flexibility in how it helps ECC students.

For example, ECC also received funding through the federal CARES Act, however, more than 50 percent of ECC students are ineligible to receive funding from that source.

"The Student Success fund ensures that all students have what they need to focus on school, not financial strain," Davin said.

To learn more about the Student Success Fund or to donate, visit www.elgin.edu/studentsuccess.