UB students who need help paying for the costs associated with college due to financial or personal hardship will soon have somewhere to turn other than loans and government-issued financial aid.
With help from a $25,000 donation from the Student Association, UB's Office of Annual Programs established the Random Acts of Kindness Fund as a way to award hardship-inflicted students a one-time-only gift to help stay in school.
According to Judy Mackey, special programs coordinator in the Office of Annual Programs, the office will consider awards on a case-by-case basis, rather than awarding a set amount of money to a set number of students each semester.
"The purpose of Random Acts of Kindness is to help those students who have slipped financially, have suffered extreme personal loss, or are in potential danger of having to leave UB because of lack of funds," Mackey said.
According to Mackey, the office has yet to award any money, but "funds will be available for awards this semester."
Thus far, Mackey said SA has received few requests for support through the fund. Mackey said a majority of the applications would come from counselors who are in direct contact with students experiencing financial hardships.
According to Mackey, SA began collecting donations for the fund about five years ago, when former SA president Nanette Coleman faced her own personal difficulties.
Although Coleman was able to return to UB after taking a semester off, she said she was inspired to start a fund for students who were not as fortunate.
According to SA Vice President Jennifer Brace, the program is unique to UB, because although other colleges and universities have programs that achieve the same goal, they award money in the form of loans, which Coleman said are not ideal.
"The idea of a loan can be an added burden when a student is trying to pick themselves up after a personal tragedy," Coleman said.
In addition to SA's donation, the fund is supplemented by other sources, such as donations collected from the University Bookstore and previous senior classes.
To raise more money to support the fund, Mackey said her office would try to incite current seniors make donations.
Mackey said she is pleased with efforts to raise money so far because "it will be comforting to know when students are faced with financial emergencies, the RAK fund will be there to help."
