Funds will address financial barriers to help students stay enrolled to completion

Cleveland State University has received a $260,000 Dash Emergency Grant from the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates to operate and maintain a student emergency aid program. Emergency grants will be integrated into CSU’s overall student success strategy with the goal of improving retention and completion rates.

CSU serves students from diverse backgrounds, and a situation that might be a headache for one could be a major financial crisis for another. If a student is already struggling to make ends meet, an unexpected car repair or medical bill might cause that student to withdraw from college.

“Thanks to the Dash Emergency Grant, CSU will have the resources to provide modest emergency grants to our students in times of greatest need,” says Peter Meiksins, vice provost for academic programs at CSU. “This will greatly assist in our efforts to help students graduate on time and with less debt.”

CSU will begin making student emergency grants in fall 2017. Students will complete an application detailing their financial emergency, which will be reviewed by a special University committee, and expenses up to $1,000 will be paid within two business days of approval. By quickly removing financial distractions, students can refocus on their studies and continue toward graduation.

CSU is one of the first four-year colleges to receive a Dash Emergency Grant from Great Lakes. A combined $7.2 million in grants were awarded to 32 colleges in Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Dash Emergency Grants for four-year colleges and universities 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 CSU 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.