Some Michigan Tech students have donated the money they received from the CARES Act to the Husky Emergency Assistance Fund to help fellow students in need.
Running with an idea generated by a group of graduate students, Michigan Tech’s Graduate Student Government (GSG) will match donations made by students who give all or a portion of their $350 CARES Act grant to the Husky Emergency Assistance Fund — up to $10,000 for donations made in the next two weeks.
“I and other students like me have not been impacted by COVID-19 as much as others, and we were in a situation where we could help our fellow students,” said Nathan Ford, GSG president and a PhD student in mechanical engineering. “I wanted to show them that they are not alone during this pandemic, and that GSG and their fellow students have their backs.”
To help alleviate the financial impact of COVID-19 on students, Michigan Tech distributed $1.5 million from its CARES Act relief funds via a $350 grant to all who qualified. But many students studying at U.S. universities weren’t eligible to receive CARES Act funds, including international students. International students are among the hardest hit by the pandemic because they can’t work off campus due to visa restrictions and aren’t able to return to their home countries due to international travel restrictions.
Michigan Tech set up the Husky Emergency Assistance Fund several months ago to address the current and future crises. Both GSG and Michigan Tech Undergraduate Student Government contributed to the fund and also financially supported the purchase of personal protective equipment for all students for the 2020-2021 academic year.
As the pandemic continues, the needs have not diminished. The Husky Emergency Assistance Fund needs replenishment. So students have stepped in. Their donations will go directly to fellow students in need, including international students as well as CARES-act eligible students whose financial hardship cannot be alleviated by $350 alone.
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