Thanks to you, we have been able to help more than 300 students with emergency funding during this challenging time. We are so grateful to you and our generous NKU community, who have made it possible for us to serve students like Trayonna, Guysnove, Danielle, Kareem and many more!

Although we have plans for a hybrid reopening in the fall, the need for our students will likely not go away any time soon.  If you would like to continue to support the NKU Student Emergency Fund in the future, you may designate your gift specifically to the fund through any of our giving opportunities at NKU.

Big news! This week we surpassed $100,000 in support of our students. Because of your generosity, we have served more than 230 students, like Lacey…

“I was waitlisted for unemployment in Ohio and unable to keep paying for my bills. This money will allow me to focus on school while looking for a job. Once the pandemic ends, I cannot wait to go back outside and go on adventures. I also miss working. This whole quarantine has felt like a break, and as much as I would complain about work, I loved my job and miss having a rewarding break after working hard all week.” – Lacey

Thanks to you, we have raised over $80,000 in support of our students!  Students like Luke:

“My Residential Assistant job was cut short, and to not have those goodbyes to my residents is an odd ending. When hearing about COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund through e-mail, I knew I had to apply. I have taken student leadership jobs as an Orientation Leader and a RA over the past year; these jobs are great for building my character, but they do not have strong financial benefits. I was reliant on my meal plan, so to have that taken was my biggest worry. This fund is so appreciated, and I cannot thank my university enough for its commitment to student well-being.” – Luke 

You may have heard that we recently announced NKU face masks! Proceeds from these one-of-a-kind face masks* will benefit the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund and even more students like Luke.

*For a suggested minimum gift of $15 through the NKU face mask site, you may select to receive an NKU face mask.  

With just less than two weeks to go, we have raised more than $7,000 towards the $10,000 match challenge!*

As we continue to receive more stories every day, we have created a Student Stories page to highlight some of the students you have impacted through your gifts, like Shamira:

“These next two months were supposed to be filled with the most exciting times of my life because I had SO many things to look forward to, but a lot of that has been taken away from me. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve dreamt about the moment I’d walk across that stage and grab my college diploma as a first-generation student. My first ever teaching position interview was canceled, job fairs were canceled, my spring break trip was canceled. What really became the biggest stressor was when I lost both of my jobs within the same week. As someone who pays for all their own needs and wants, I didn’t know how I was going to pay for groceries, medical bills, and credit card bills that I had to charge for graduation and standardized test purposes. Going from 2 jobs to 0 jobs gave me the push I needed to apply for this fund.” – Shamira

*Match will end on April 30 or when matching funds are depleted.

Earlier this week, we announced a $10,000 match challenge thanks to a generous donor. From now until April 30, every gift to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund will be matched up to $10,000!* In just four days, we have raised over $5,000 towards this match, which will allow us to serve 20 or more students. 

We have received 285 applications and funding has been awarded to 198 students so far. Thank you to all of our donors who have made it possible for us to help students like Isaiah…  

“Several weeks ago, I never would have thought that this pandemic would disrupt everything I had planned. Had I known that the last time I was on campus at NKU would be the very last time, I would have embraced my friends and thanked my professors. I thought we had more time together. I applied for the fund because my family has been economically impacted by the virus, as we all have. I didn't have anywhere to turn for funds during this difficult time after a series of opportunities were canceled. It's been very difficult, but again I am so thankful to the donors. Once the pandemic is over, I am looking forward to being the first person in my immediate family to earn a Master's degree in playwriting at the historic writer's workshop at the University of Iowa, where my hero, Tennessee Williams studied.” – Isaiah

*Match will end on April 30 or when matching funds are depleted.

We continue to receive stories from students whose lives you have changed. Thanks to your giving and sharing of this project, we have granted funding to 158 students, totaling more than $50,000 in aid.

Below is Suzanne’s story, who recently received assistance through the Student Emergency Fund:

“I am not able to work my one job at all. I can only get very limited hours at my second job due to it being based on providing services in the community. Knowing that I will not have income for an unknown amount of time has been tremendously stressful. The primary reason I applied for assistance through the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund is that I know I will not be getting another paycheck, and I don’t have any other sources of income. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, I’m looking forward to getting together with the people I love and care about, getting back to work, and having a sense of normalcy most of all.” – Suzanne

Thank you for making it possible for us to serve students like Suzanne. We have received more than 240 applications, which means our need for your support has not ended. Please continue to share this project so we can reach more people and serve as many students as possible.

We have received over 160 applications for assistance through the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, and are happy to report that more than 40 students so far have received funding. Thank you to all of our generous donors who have made this possible.

We hope you will take the time to read about the impact you are making in the life of Keyah, a student who received funding thanks to you:

“Since the pandemic began, I have become a full-time student (15 credit hours) online, a full-time teacher to my eight-year-old daughter, a full-time daycare provider for my four-year-old son, and a part- time student worker all at home. The reason I applied for the emergency fund was to have some security during this time. I am a mother of two children and we have had some financial obligations that left me with hardly nothing in my banking account. The funding will provide a cushion to buy school supplies, medications, and get caught up on any bills that we may get behind on during the pandemic.” – Keyah

Please continue to share this project with your networks. Applications are coming in every day, and we are hopeful that with your help, we will be able to assist as many students as possible. 

In just a matter of days, we have received 46 applications from students seeking funding from the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund. We are so grateful to everyone who has donated so far, as it allows us to provide essential resources to our students, who need our support now more than ever.

We are hopeful that our community’s support for this fund continues so we can serve even more students as the need grows. Please share this project with your networks so we can reach more people to support our students’ health and success during this time.

If you know a student who needs assistance, please reach out to alstonr1@nku.edu or call 859-572-5147.