When FIU student Gabriella Lla\u00f1a lost her job during the pandemic, she feared she might lose her apartment, too. Living alone, she wasn\u2019t sure how she would afford rent.<\/p>\n
With support from the FIUstrong disaster relief initiative, the university was able to intervene. Lla\u00f1a was granted an emergency aid scholarship to help cover bills.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was scared that after paying the [last] month of rent, I would be left with nowhere to go,\u201d Lla\u00f1a said of her dwindling savings. Help from FIU allowed her keep up with rent payments and purchase groceries, which made it possible to maintain her high grade point average and live without worry.<\/p>\n
Thousands of other FIU students have similar personal situations that have grown increasingly dire as the pandemic\u00a0persists. While\u00a0young people\u00a0struggle to meet basic needs, financial difficulties\u00a0threaten\u00a0their dreams of attaining a degree.<\/p>\n
A crisis like no other<\/strong><\/p>\n The campaign to raise money for the FIUstrong emergency fund has been activated to help Panthers before, including after hurricanes Irma and Maria, but this time is different, said Howard Lipman, senior vice president of University Advancement and CEO of the FIU Foundation, which is leading the initiative.<\/p>\n \u201cThe university raises money for emergency relief throughout the regular academic year,\u201d Lipman said. \u201cBut the pandemic has left the entire globe in crisis for months, and as a result, we are seeing unprecedented need here in our FIU community.\u201d<\/p>\n When the university first transitioned to remote learning in March, between 50 and 100 students daily asked for some kind of extra help \u2013 as many as would normally make such requests in a six-month period. The number of students in need soared to the thousands in a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n In April, the university received $19 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief fund established by the federal CARES Act to provide students emergency aid grants, which helped alleviate the financial burden of more than 9,500 students.<\/p>\n But the money has been\u00a0completely disbursed, and still more students need assistance \u2013 including more than 1,600 who were ineligible to receive CARES Act funds and 2,200 who were eligible but who applied after those funds had been exhausted.<\/p>\n The majority have requested relief to meet their most basic needs, including housing, food, child care and other living expenses. Many are out of work or have faced drastic cuts to their work hours. Some need help equipping their homes for remote learning. As of June 12, their unmet need amounted to more than $5 million.<\/p>\n FIU steps up<\/strong><\/p>\n With the help of FIU\u2019s alumni, community partners, faculty and staff, and parents, the university can continue to assist those Panthers the pandemic has left vulnerable.<\/p>\n Through FIUstrong, Panthers\u2019 collective efforts have helped more than 380 students like Gabriella, as of June 12. But as the pandemic stretches on, the number of students seeking assistance will only grow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need the private support of our Panther family and friends to ensure no FIU students are forced to choose between keeping the lights on or continuing their education as a result of the pandemic,\u201d Lipman said.<\/p>\n It goes beyond the here and now. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities says\u00a0unmet financial need is a significant barrier<\/a>\u00a0to completing a degree for many low-income students.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen students are forced to pause or even stop their education, they may not end up realizing their life goals and dreams,\u201d Lipman said.<\/p>\n Honors College alumnus Joel Gandara \u201903 is among those who have pledged support for FIUstrong. Gandara is a success coach and entrepreneur actively involved in Honors College life by\u00a0mentoring students<\/a>. When he started hearing stories of people who lost their jobs or were forced to close their small businesses, he realized he hadn\u2019t been affected by the pandemic as badly as some and started looking for ways to lend a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is going through a storm right now, but some of us are in different ships,\u201d Gandara said. \u201cSome of us are in a rowboat and are hurting.\u201d<\/p>\n Lla\u00f1a, a junior majoring in finance, is grateful the FIU community was there for her.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to thank the donors,\u201d she said. \u201cThere are many students who might be on the verge of living in the streets due to COVID-19 with nowhere to go, but with your help, we are able to maintain faith, health and a positive mind.\u201d<\/p>\n