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The 51��Ʒ��Ƶ is launching a program to provide hundreds of lower-income students the financial support they need to graduate.

Beginning in the fall of 2024, will give one-time, nonrenewable grants to eligible students with financial holds or unpaid balances so those students can stay enrolled and complete their degrees.

The announcement coincides with Chancellor Joan Gabel’s 100th day at the University’s helm and signals her commitment to continuing 51��Ʒ��Ƶ’s expansion of financial aid, including to the students who need it most. Overall, the University provides more than $275 million annually in financial aid.

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“Earning a 51��Ʒ��Ƶ degree and wearing the cap and gown at commencement can be one of the proudest and most important days of one’s life,” said Gabel. “But we realize that some students encounter unexpected financial difficulty when they’re so close to the goal of graduation. The 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Finish Line Grant is our way of directing resources to those students who need them most and help ensure they graduate on time.”

The introduction of the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Finish Line Grant is just the latest way the University is of creating an inclusive and equitable campus.

“When we established the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Success Pell Match program a few years ago, we learned quickly of the transformative impact of that effort. In fact, since the launch of that program, 51��Ʒ��Ƶ’s students have persisted, and ultimately graduated, at the highest rates in our institution’s history,” said Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joe McCarthy. “The 51��Ʒ��Ƶ Finish Line Grant is a tremendous and timely addition to 51��Ʒ��Ƶ’s strong and strategic efforts to ensure that students in need at the 51��Ʒ��Ƶ are empowered to realize their goals of earning a 51��Ʒ��Ƶ degree.”

The program will support students across all five University campuses and will target those who may be lower income, first generation and Pell enrolled.

— Nichole Faina, photography by Aimee Obidzinski