Student Success Fund Helps Students Move Forward Even in Tough Times

Today’s topic is the new Student Success Fund, now open for student applications.

Survey after survey tells us what derails our students’ success, and you see it up close every day: our students struggle to balance paying for life with paying for college. The vast majority of NOVA Nighthawks can only take a few classes each semester because they are working one or more jobs that — try as they might — never make ends meet. Up to 20% of our students are also parents, and in addition, many serve as caretakers for family members — responsibilities that add both financial and time constraints. While some NOVA students qualify for Pell grants and scholarships to offset tuition, many more do not and still fall far short of the resources needed to thrive in high-cost Northern Virginia. They are one flat tire, one unplanned dental bill, one rent increase away from stopping or dropping out, ending lifelong dreams of attending and completing college.

The story NOVA student Estella shared at the 2022 Regional College Hunger Conference is an all-too-common one. In a quiet but determined voice, she said, “Two of my three children were hospitalized, one being my newborn this fall. I struggled during summer and fall semesters.” But she persisted, and the NOVA Foundation provided emergency support that helped her get back on track. Now, she has completed classes in a high-demand, high-wage IET career pathway. Estella’s story now has a happy ending: her dream of building a better future for her family is coming true.

Together, we can change the story for thousands of hardworking NOVA students by offering financial assistance in their moments of greatest need, supporting them today and strengthening their tomorrows.

The Student Success Fund exemplifies why we’re #boldlyNOVA: it is a bold and inspiring investment in transforming our students’ futures and advancing real and lasting opportunity in our community.

At NOVA, we are proud of our robust culture of care. The Student Success Fund is one more example of this culture in action. However, our best programs can make an impact only if our students take advantage of them. Too often, our students are reluctant to share the challenges they face. They put on brave faces, struggle in silence, and disappear — missing first one class, then another, then weeks before dropping out. By simply talking about the Student Success Fund in your classes, just as you might discuss tutoring or library support, you can make a huge difference.

Today’s Daily Flyer article gives you all the info you need to share with your students about the Student Success Fund; and hearing about the Fund from you may nudge the students who need it most to apply for this degree-saving financial support. The NOVA Foundation has invested $250,000 this inaugural year to support emergency grants and last-mile scholarships through the Fund. And in honor of the Halloween launch of the Student Success Fund application, today my family is adding $1,031 to this total and hopes that you will consider making a donation as well.

Together, we can keep NOVA’s inspiring students moving forward to exceptional, bright, and bold futures.

Thank you for all you do!