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| Amanda Gibson works with fellow Union College Ambassadors to welcome and orient new students. She will be able to complete her last year of college—in spite of state aid cuts—because of the Student Impact Fund. |
Student Impact Fund Makes a Difference: Give by June 30
When Union student Amanda Gibson learned she would not receive state financial aid for the 2010-2011 year, she faced the very real possibility of not completing a college education.
A first-generation college student from a low-income family, Amanda falls into the category of students who are most dependent on financial aid. Yet, Kentucky’s budget shortfalls meant state aid ran out earlier than ever, and Amanda was left empty-handed and with a tuition bill she could not afford.
Thankfully, Union’s Student Impact Fund was able to bridge the gap, and Amanda can return for her last year of college.
As a senior, Amanda is especially grateful for the opportunity to continue at Union and complete a degree.
“I would just like to say thank you to the alumni, friends and parents who continue to financially help students like me,” she says. “I wouldn’t be able to go to college without your support.”
Just like Union, colleges and universities across the nation raise money through annual gifts to enhance their mission. These are usually unrestricted gifts that support the school in a general way and can be applied where the need is greatest. Union’s annual fund, however, is a bit different. Known as the Student Impact Fund, Union’s annual fund helps students by providing financial aid, salaries for faculty and staff, educational equipment, student services and utilities.
The idea, according to Union’s Office of Advancement, is to commit the funds to areas that most affect student persistence and retention: financial assistance, academic resources, and the quality of the campus / college experience.
Amanda is just one example of many Union students who rely on the Student Impact Fund. Just over 60 percent of Union students are either first-generation or from low-income families. Since unmet financial need is one of the top reasons students fail to complete a college degree, the Student Impact Fund makes a dramatic difference in the lives and potential of Union undergraduates.
As Kentucky’s budget woes continue—the recently approved budget cuts deeply into state financial aid programs—Union expects that more students will need more financial support than ever. Like Amanda, they genuinely want to continue at Union, where they feel connected and encouraged to succeed.
“Union really has made me feel like this is my family, and I love every aspect of it,” says Amanda. “I truly appreciate all the help Union has given me.”
Alumni, friends, parents and others still have time to support the Student Impact Fund before June 30, which is the end of the college’s fiscal year. Those who donate before June 30 will be noted in the next issue of Union’s Honor Roll of Donors. Alumni who donate by June 30 will also have voting privileges with the Union College Alumni Association as it prepares to elect new officers.
To donate to the Student Impact Fund, use Union’s secure online giving site or mail gifts to
Union College Advancement,
310 College St., Box D4
Barbourville, KY 40906.
For questions regarding fiscal end-of-year giving, contact Denise Wainscott at 606-546-1218 or wainscott@unionky.edu.
