A business owner, who prefers to remain anonymous, has donated $35,000 to the Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation. The money that was donated went into the Project Finish Line fund. The Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation created the Project Finish Line in March of this year. The fund started out with $30,000 before the anonymous donation.
Emergency aid is available for students who have gone through financial loss, illness, natural disaster, accidents, eviction, death of a family member or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency aid from the fund can help students buy textbooks, pay for child care, or purchase a bus pass. Students are still able to apply for emergency aid through the CCS Foundation’s website, as well as through SFCC’s own emergency funding request form.
The requirements to apply include the following: Complete at least one quarter of classes, be in good academic standing, be a current student and fill out the budget form within the application.
No back balances will be paid, and all awards are processed by Financial Aid.
Project Finish Line has allocated $150 per student. If awarded, students can use this money to purchase laptops for online classes. When applying, students should note that they need to reference a specific need for a computer to finish their classes in the application. Preference is given to students who are in their second year of school. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member is encouraged, but it is not required.
Students can also use this money to receive a laptop through Xfinity’s Internet Essentials plan. The Internet Essentials plan does require students to have no outstanding debt with Comcast. The plan also requires students to be on any form of public assistance. Students who are eligible for the Essentials plan must live in an area where Comcast internet is available. Students must have no existing internet access for the past 90 days. Xfinity’s Internet Essentials plan costs $10 a month minimum.
Most students have had no issues with applying for emergency funding.
“I applied with a super easy application that I accessed from an email,” said Amanda Tomatich, a Spokane Falls Community College student who applied for emergency funding. “The communication between the school and the program was very fast and informative. I received money the next week when I received my financial aid.”
Megan Barlow-Jones, a Spokane Falls Community College student who applied for emergency funding, had a positive experience with the process.
“I saw the link on Facebook, and just filled a few things out. I got an email. Then the money appeared in my account a few days later,” Barlow-Jones said.
Some Spokane Falls Community College students like Stephen Butler, have experienced a number of issues with emergency funding.
“I applied, but I received a letter of denial stating that I don’t qualify for state financial aid, yet I’m currently a student and receiving financial aid,” Butler said. “I don’t know how to appeal either, so the denial is where I stand.”