First lady McPhee led effort to create emergency fund
MURFREESBORO — Middle
Tennessee State University students who find themselves in a financial pinch
can now apply for one-time emergency micro-grants aimed at keeping them in
school and on track to earning their degree.
Through a wave of
local community support and the existing Lewis Hazelwood Student Emergency
Fund, MTSU has a pool of funds to help students with emergency needs. The
micro-grants are designed to help with verified needs associated with the
student’s education such as tuition, fees, books, housing and transportation.
Grants up to $250
are available to qualified undergraduate, graduate and international students.
The grant does not have to be repaid, however, a student may receive it only
once during their tenure at MTSU. To be eligible, students must be in academic
good standing, with a minimum 2.0 GPA at the time of the request.
MTSU President
Sidney A. McPhee applauded the community support of students, many of whom
remain in the Midstate area following their graduation and invest back into the
campus and the surrounding community.
Creation of the
funding source followed an effort spearheaded by McPhee’s wife, Elizabeth
McPhee, who called on area churches and community members to consider financial
support of needy students. She pointed to the help she and her husband received
years ago as graduate students that helped them continue their education.
“Building
Community: An Event for MTSU” was organized by a committee of local church
leaders and held Jan. 12 at World Outreach Church. The event and local support
that followed has generated more than $10,000 thus far.
“This community
effort illustrates perfectly the values within our True Blue Pledge of being
recipients and givers, as well as being engaged in the life of this community,”
President McPhee said. “The success of our students remains the top priority of
this university, and these funds are a concrete expression of this community’s
commitment to helping us fulfill that mission. We are truly grateful for the
support.”
The Jan. 12 event
was also connected to the True Blue Community Initiative, a grassroots effort
launched by the Rev. James McCarroll of First Baptist Church last September to
deepen support for MTSU academics and athletics across all segments of the community.
McCarroll was among six local pastors who spoke at the event.
Anyone wishing to
contribute to the fund can do so online at http://www.mtsu.edu/StudentFund/.
Contributions can also be mailed to the Office of Development, MTSU PO Box 109,
Murfreesboro, TN 37132. Be sure to make the check to the MTSU Foundation and designate
the gift to the “MTSU Student Assistance Fund” on the memo line. Gifts without
designation will be placed into the Annual Fund.
Such emergency
aid is also in line with recommendations in MTSU’s Quest for Student Success, a
plan advanced by Provost Brad Bartel and approved by President McPhee, that
called for more short-term emergency aid to help students set back by small,
unexpected debts.
James Lee,
president of the Student Government Association, notes that many MTSU students
are first-generation college students like him, many of whom are juggling
academic and work demands in pursuit of a degree. (Watch a video message from
Lee about the fund at http://youtu.be/BdRnvbWRuVw.)
“For many of
us, a relatively small financial barrier can cause a delay in our studies,” Lee
said.
Funds are
divided among the academic colleges to award grants as approved by the dean’s
office. Interested students should contact their college adviser or their
dean’s office. A student must be classified as degree seeking and be enrolled
in six credit hours during fall/spring semesters and/or enrolled in three credit
hours during the summer.
Students must show
satisfactory academic progress as determined by the Financial Aid Office,
however those currently on financial aid probation or financial aid suspension
are not eligible. Students receiving other forms of financial aid may not
receive the micro-grant if it will cause them to exceed their allowable cost of
attendance calculation.
Information
about the micro-grant and other emergency aid available to students can be
found at http://mtsu.edu/studentsuccess/crisis-aid.php.
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