Since its inception in 2016, the FAST Fund has supported faculty at 36 colleges and universities, who in turn have supported more than 10,000 students.
To understand our impact, consider this wisdom from our board member, Douglas Webber:
“I’m an economist; I think a lot about the bang for your buck. If I’m going to give $1,000 or $5,000 to something, I want to give it to the place it’s going to have the biggest social impact. I think this at least has the potential to do that.”
Another board member, Jimmieka Mills, needed emergency aid for herself and her son: Read more from EdSurge.
Or take a look at what the inaugural FAST Fund at Milwaukee Area Technical College, which began in 2016, has achieved. Last year AFT wrote that the FAST Fund has “provided $32,000 in direct emergency assistance to 89 students in in the 2017-2018 academic year. Housing insecurity, preventing evictions or securing housing for homeless students, was the single largest area of need (39 students). Other non-tuition costs of attendance was second (18 students); auto assistance accounted for 17 students.”
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel describes the stories of many students who have used the FAST Fund in that city and there are wonderful videos of students’ stories on the Fund’s Facebook page and other information on its webpage.
Diana Thomas benefited from the Milwaukee FAST Fund. As AFT reports, before she enrolled at MATC, she worked two jobs and saved as much as she could so she could pay for a program that would earn her a degree in nursing—her dream job. When she left one job to attend classes, she had just enough money for tuition, rent, food, gas and books—but she nearly dropped out because she couldn’t afford the iPad required for the RN associate program. The FAST Fund stepped in to pay for the iPad, and she stayed in school.”
The University Network (TUN) tells the story of the FAST Fund coming together with other nonprofits to help students during the campus shutdowns caused by COVID-19.
Here are other examples of how students have used support from the FAST
Fund:
- A student had taken five early childhood education courses and paid for her Early Childhood Administrator credential. She did not have the $300 license fee that would allow her to be employed. The FAST Fund was used to paid the $300 fee.
- A male business student was homeless for three weeks after aging out of foster care. Spending nights at Dunkin Donuts, he was living out of his suitcase and cleaning up at MATC at 6 AM when it opened. Immaculately dressed in suit and tie, he broke down explaining his circumstances. The FAST Fund provided him with $345 to secure temporary housing and purchase food.
- Provided $700 to a DACA student who was working 60 hours a week and going to school full-time in the dental tech program in order to reduce her hours and focus on her education.
- A paralegal student, the working mother of four children under the age of ten, was abandoned by her partner, who left her with very little money. She and her children were facing eviction because she was $400 short on her rent. The Fast Fund provided her with the money to prevent the eviction.