A Little Help from Their Friends

The COVID-19 pandemic did not just disrupt a school year; it also upended the lives of WPI students and faculty and staff members. In the winter of 2020, as decisions were made about the fate of in-person classes, global pro-jects, athletics, and more, it became clear that some community members were facing unforeseen expenses due to everything from last-minute travel to return home to acquiring the equipment needed to finish up the term remotely.

Stemming from a desire to not only address these challenges and needs, but to also provide a bit of stability and support in a time of uncertainty, the offices of Advancement, Student Aid and Financial Literacy, Talent and Inclusion, Dean of Students, and Payroll came together to establish the WPI Emergency Assistance Fund, a specialized fund focused on mitigating unforeseen financial hardships faced by students (and other members of the community) due to the pandemic.

“The idea was to come up with a solution to make sure students were able to continue their education uninterrupted and keep their education a priority without having to focus on unexpected financial difficulties,” says Monica Ellis, assistant vice president, lifetime engagement.

Unlike some federal funding, which requires that recipients be domestic students who have filed a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), the Emergency Assistance Fund is open to all students—domestic and international, undergraduate and graduate—who need assistance with living essentials like rent, utilities, and food. (Since the Emergency Assistance Fund’s inception, a smaller fund focused entirely on food insecurity has also become available.) Students may apply for grants of up to $1,000 with no expectation of repayment.

“I feel very grateful that we came together as a community to create this additional opportunity to help our students in a time of need,” says Jessica Sabourin, director, student aid and financial literacy, who works with associate dean of students Emily Perlow and assistant vice president and dean of students Gregory Snoddy to review applications and determine the most effective way to help each student with their individual situations.

Ellis agrees, saying, “I was thrilled with how quickly we were able to get this mobilized. It speaks to the WPI community and what we’re all about—we’re a community of problem solvers and people who want to make a difference. We see a problem and want to figure out what we can do to help solve it.”

Once the fund was established, the WPI community worked quickly, with alumni, friends, and even some student groups on campus, making almost 200 gifts totaling more than $87,000 to help close to 100 recipients. Donations ranged from $50 to thousands of dollars.

“Alumni from all over wanted to step up and help in whatever way they could,” Ellis says, adding that many alumni who had depended on financial aid and alumni support during their own time at WPI were happy to step in and pay it forward for current students. “For those who had the means to continue to provide that support, it meant a lot to all of us that they would think of our students during this difficult time and do what they could to help them continue their education.”

Sabourin shares a similar sentiment. “When you get a thank-you email back from a student who received a grant, it means the world,” she says. “You might just think you’re helping pay a utility bill, but that could’ve been a great source of stress for a student, something that had been taking their attention away from studying for a final. To be able to lessen that burden for them has meant a great deal.”

While requests for aid slowed down when the academic year came to a close, the fund is still open and available for any students facing urgent financial hardship, an option Sabourin hopes will be sustainable as WPI and the world as a whole move forward. “There’s been such a positive outcome from this, and that’s a testament to the WPI community. I hope it continues as a resource for students who may have nowhere else to turn.”