WestConn offers grants to financially struggling students

Western Connecticut State University Midtown Campus. Monday, September 9, 2019, in Danbury, Conn. Western Connecticut State University Midtown Campus. Monday, September 9, 2019, in Danbury, Conn. Photo: H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close WestConn offers grants to financially struggling students 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

DANBURY — Western Connecticut State University plans to lend a hand to students struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic.

A fund is available for students who have lost jobs, cannot afford food or tuition, or may need other financial help.

“With some well-timed assistance, our students will not have to choose between life’s necessities or continuing their education,” the university said in an appeal to alumni, faculty and staff asking for donations for the fund.

So far, more than 60 students have received aid, with the average grant at $425, said Jay Murray, associate vice president for enrollment services. At least 127 students have applied, he said.

Donations to the Colonials Care Student Assistance Fund may be made online. The university has had a “good response” so far, but the total number of donations was not yet available, WCSU spokesman Paul Steinmetz said.

This is separate from the $2.1 million the university is expected to receive for emergency financial aid for students, which is part of nearly $4.3 million allocated for WCSU from the federal coronavirus relief bill, said Leigh Appleby, spokesman for the Board of Regents.

The money will be distributed to students to help pay for housing, food and other basic essentials, U.S Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., said.

“As a legislator and an educator, I am uniquely aware of the importance of stable housing and food for our students in colleges and universities,” she said when she announced the grants last week. “This funding will assist students who have been financially impacted during this pandemic.”

The four Connecticut state universities are working together to determine a “consistent, expeditious and equitable” way to distribute the funding to students, Appleby said.

Meanwhile, the Colonials Care fund includes $50,000 from the Student Government Association, which donated a chunk of the money it would have used for now-canceled events in the spring. This money came from student fees, said Paul Horkan, the president of the SGA.

“It literally comes from the pocket of students, so it made sense to put it back into their pockets,” he said in a statement.

The fund was created in 2018 to help students with emergency expenses so they could stay in school, but the university said this money may be needed now more than ever.

“During this difficult time, WCSU students are facing new and unexpected challenges and financial hardship,” the appeal letter states. “Many of them come from low-to-moderate income households or have other circumstances such that the impact COVID-19 has had on them and their families is unprecedented. Between unforeseen expenses and the loss of income because of this crisis, we know that many WCSU students will need additional support in order to continue their studies.”

The online application for the fund asks students to explain why they need the assistance and whether their request is for books, transportation, tuition assistance or other. Requests may not exceed $500.

Money may be used cover a tuition balance or other emergency expenses related to students’ educational needs, such as books, food, rent, or technology costs, Steinmetz said.

The university and its students have been been part of the effort to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

About 220 beds are set up at the O’Neill Center in case patients recovering from COVID-19 need to be sent there, while two residence halls are ready to be used if the state needs them.

At least 10 nursing students are volunteering at Danbury Hospital during the outbreak, Steinmetz said. These students responded to calls for help from the governor and Nuvance Health, while additional students are working in their regular jobs at Danbury, Norwalk, Waterbury and Yale hospitals, he said.

The nursing, health services and other university departments donated personal protective equipment — 550 surgical masks, 400 gloves and 174 isolation gowns — to Danbury Hospital.

University departments also programmed a 3D printer to manufacture a component used in the assembly of protective face shields for medical personnel. That printer was delivered to St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, which originally requested it, while another is available for additional hospitals.

The effort is part of a statewide project that hopes to build 20,000 face shields in the next several weeks.