A student’s future shouldn’t be determined by an unexpected car repair, a medical bill, or the final few dollars needed to register for classes.
Yet for many of the young adults in our Workforce Prep Mentoring Program, that’s the reality they face.
By the time students enter our Continuing Education Program (Years 4–7), they’ve already invested years preparing for their future. They’ve graduated from high school and are pursuing a college degree, trade school, or other postsecondary credentials while often balancing coursework, jobs, and family responsibilities. Most have little or no financial safety net.
When an unexpected expense arises, everything they’ve worked toward can suddenly be at risk.
That’s why our Student Support Fund exists.
Established in 2021 through leadership gifts from President and CEO Kristina Marshall, our Board Chair, and an Advisory Board member, and support from the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, the fund ensures unexpected financial hardships don’t prevent students from enrolling in or completing their postsecondary education. Since then, more than $242,000 has helped students overcome financial barriers and continue toward graduation and meaningful careers.
The need is significant.
Ninety-five percent of our continuing education students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch during high school, and many are the first in their families to pursue education beyond high school. Financial pressures remain one of the leading reasons students leave college before earning a credential.
But tuition is only part of the equation.
Students also face costs for textbooks, technology, transportation, housing, utilities, groceries, and certification fees. Even a relatively small, unexpected expense can force an impossible choice between meeting basic needs and staying in school.
“Our goal is simple,” said Caitlynn Upton, who administers the Student Support Fund. “It’s to help students stay in school and graduate.”
Before assistance is approved, students work with our staff to maximize financial aid including scholarships, grants, and federal work-study. The Student Support Fund fills the gaps that remain.
Support may cover a remaining tuition balance, transportation needs, textbooks, technology, housing costs, or certification expenses – whatever is needed to keep a student’s education on track.
“They’re not asking for luxury items,” Upton said. “They’re asking for the basic necessities that allow them to continue their education.”
The impact can be life changing.
For one student, a parent’s unexpected job loss left the family unable to pay for her tuition balance and enroll for the following semester.
“We were just barely making ends meet, then my dad was laid off. I thought this was the end of my college days and career dreams. But then the Support Fund covered my first semester tuition balance, so I was able to stay in school.”
For another student, the fund provided immediate relief he needed when his car broke down and he could no longer commute to school.
“I didn’t have savings to fall back on. The Support Fund was essential in helping me stay in school, focus on my academics and career, and continue working towards a degree in computer science.”
These stories reflect a broader truth: mentoring alone cannot remove every obstacle.
Our volunteer Career Mentors provide guidance, encouragement, and accountability that help students prepare for successful careers. Practical financial support ensures an unexpected crisis doesn’t erase years of hard work.
“You really can’t have one without the other,” Upton said. “You can’t expect students to focus on their education if they’re worried about transportation, housing, textbooks, or whether they’ll be able to register for next semester.”
Every dollar invested in the Student Support Fund protects far more than a student’s semester. It helps students stay enrolled, earn their credentials, launch meaningful careers, and build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and our community.
Sometimes the difference between dropping out and graduating isn’t a lack of talent or determination. It’s simply having someone there when life takes an unexpected turn.
Interested in donating to our Student Support Fund? Contact Chief Operations Officer, Daniela Matthews at Daniela@WinningFutures.org or 586-276-5236.