Ohio Wesleyan Receives Funding to Launch Emergency Grant Program
Great Lakes Gift Intended to Help Low-Income Students Stay Enrolled, Earn Diplomas
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University has received a $131,250 Dash Emergency Grant from Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates to operate and maintain a student emergency aid program.
The new program will enable Ohio Wesleyan to support low-income (Pell Grant-eligible) students who face unexpected financial crises, such as a need for urgent medical care, to help ensure the students are able to stay in school and to graduate.
“Ohio Wesleyan’s student success strategy entails helping our students to thrive academically, socially, and financially,” said Dwayne K. Todd, Ph.D., vice president for student engagement and success. “Thanks to the Dash Emergency Grant, Ohio Wesleyan will be able to aid students in times of significant need with grants of up to $1,000. We want to remove unforeseen financial distractions quickly to help students stay focused on earning their diplomas.”
Ohio Wesleyan will begin making student emergency grants in fall 2017. Students will complete an online application detailing their financial emergency, and a designated campus administrator will review each grant request. Once an application is approved, students will receive funds within one or two business days.
Ohio Wesleyan will contribute a 10 percent match during the first year of the two-year grant cycle and a 15 percent match during the second year, said Todd, whose office will oversee the new program.
Ohio Wesleyan is one of the first four-year colleges in the United States to receive a Dash Emergency Grant. Great Lakes awarded a combined $7.2 million in grants this month to 32 colleges in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Dash Emergency Grants for four-year colleges build on the success two-year colleges have achieved since Great Lakes began supporting emergency grant programs in 2012. These colleges report students who receive emergency grants stay in school at better rates and graduate in larger numbers.
“We’re pleased to extend our Dash Emergency Grant to Ohio Wesleyan and other four-year colleges to help more at-risk students overcome financial obstacles to completion,” said Richard D. George, president and chief executive officer of Great Lakes.
About Great Lakes: Dedicated to Making College Education a Reality Since 1967
Knowing that education has the power to change lives for the better, Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates was established as a nonprofit group focused on a single objective: helping students nationwide prepare for and succeed in postsecondary education and student loan repayment. As a leading student loan guarantor and servicer, Great Lakes has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers—as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. The group's earnings support one of the largest and most respected education philanthropy programs in the country. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed over $200 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. For additional information, visit home.mygreatlakes.org.
About Ohio Wesleyan University
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.