Katie McDonald was looking forward to starting the Business Administration program at NSCC Kingstec Campus. After a promising first day, she drove home to Digby to find a fire had destroyed her rental home.
“My house was essentially in the ground,” she recalls.
Fortunately, Katie received assistance through the Urgent Aid Fund. Student aid, including Urgent Aid, is the main priority of Make Way — The Campaign for NSCC, a $25-million fundraising initiative aimed at removing barriers to education for those who will propel Nova Scotia forward.
The campaign is also raising money to support innovative programming, instructional equipment and centres of expertise at NSCC.
Thanks to generous donors who have designated funds to Urgent Aid, students in crisis like Katie can get the support they need.
The Urgent Aid program, funded through the NSCC Foundation and administered by the College’s Student Services department at all NSCC locations across Nova Scotia, provides financial and other support to current students who are at risk of leaving their academic program due to challenging events.
For Katie, the fire was devastating. She and her boyfriend lost their two cats and all of their belongings in the blaze.
Because of the costs of getting back on her feet — needing to purchase everything from toothbrushes to clothing to furniture — Katie had no money to cover the cost of books for her business courses.
“My first day back after the fire, I met with my counselor and she suggested that I apply for Urgent Aid,” she says.
Urgent Aid is a unique and relatively new program at NSCC, initiated in June 2015 through a donation of $500,000 over five years — part of a $4.6-millon donation to support student success — from The Joyce Family Foundation.
Last month, Urgent Aid got another boost in the form of a $500,000 cheque from Chartwells (a member of Compass Group Canada), NSCC’s food service provider at four campuses.
“As a person who ran out of money and had to leave school early, I feel grateful that Make Way emphasizes the importance of supporting students through to graduation,” Chartwells President, Ashton Sequeira, said during an event to unveil the contribution to Make Way – The Campaign for NSCC.
For Katie McDonald, Urgent Aid funding helped get her through the distressing situation and resulting financial strain.
“Because all of my school supplies were lost in the fire, getting that assistance was very important to continuing my education. Everybody I spoke to from student services was overwhelmingly helpful, and supportive.”
Going the extra mile at Kingstec Campus
Ben Brown has his eyes on the prize. Whether it’s his dream of joining Canada’s Paralympic Team or his pursuit of a Business Administration diploma at NSCC Kingstec Campus, he does not shy away from hard work.
But everybody needs support. That’s why Make Way — The Campaign for NSCC is raising money to help students in your community succeed, through direct student aid including bursaries and scholarships.
Balancing a rigorous training schedule with full-time schooling has been challenging for Ben, who was paralyzed in a motocross accident.
Receiving the Risley Family Access to Opportunities Bursary is keeping him on track to what he hopes will be a career in sports marketing.
“Receiving the funding has cut down the cost of going to school, has allowed me to budget better, and to be less stressed,” he says.
