7.14.20
WSU students say ‘thank you’ to those who support them during a scary time
Donations to emergency fund for students welcome as pandemic lingers
On March 16, students at Wichita State University learned classes on campus would cease for the semester and all instruction would continue online. Fallout from the pandemic, including the state-ordered shutdown, turned their lives upside down. Nearly all who had jobs and internships lost them as employers either closed their doors or drastically cut back operations. The vast majority of WSU students work to help make ends meet.
“I was awake in the middle of the night wondering how I was going to pay my bills,” said Austin Phillips, a sophomore majoring in engineering who lost his job. “And then I realized the even bigger problem was that I was not going to be able to save towards my fall tuition.”
By the end of March, the WSU Foundation recognized a crisis was unfolding and quickly launched the ShockersUP campaign to solicit donations to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students. Many have contributed, but an urgent need for donations still exists. See Page 5 for Financial Aid Director Sheelu Surender’s take on how the pandemic is affecting students.
Students are grateful for the assistance they are receiving.
Here are some of their stories:
Senior majoring in criminal justice
“I had been working on campus but, due to the closures, I was no longer needed to cover my shift. As an international student, I am not eligible to be employed outside of WSU. This puts me into a situation when I am left without any income. After graduation, I was planning on getting a job in the criminal justice field. I had lined up an interview but, unfortunately, the interview was postponed indefinitely. That is why this grant, which did not differentiate between students based on their birthplace, was very much needed and important in this situation, since WSU is home to many international students.”
“Considering the tough situation I was in, I want to say thank you to those who helped. I applied for the aid because I lost my job and needed help covering some of my bills. This money helped me pay for rent and I am so grateful for that.”
“I left my job at Pizza Hut due to COVID and how dangerous workplaces can be. I have only been using my credit cards and the little savings I have to live. This pandemic has affected me a lot, changing my lifestyle and causing more stress than I had been experiencing because of my debt. I used the funds from the grant to pay for food and rent. I appreciate the grant but I know this disaster situation will continue for a long time, which makes me even more worried. Thank you for caring!”
“I don’t qualify for financial aid and my parents do not pay for my school. It was a struggle to find a way to pay for the classes I need to take in order to graduate on time, especially after I lost my second job that I was counting on to save up money. I put groceries on my credit card when I didn’t have any income for a period of time, and thankfully, I was able to use this money to pay off my credit card. It was such a relief.”
Senior majoring in accounting
“I work at Textron Aviation but we were required to take eight weeks of furlough over 15 weeks. I applied for unemployment but still haven’t received that money. Not being paid for two months has stalled my plans, including moving out of my parents’ house this summer. The $500 grant will go to tuition, books, rent, gas, utilities and groceries. I can’t thank Wichita State and all the donors enough for their generosity!”
“I have been out of work now for almost two months, and my bills needed to be paid. My car payment, insurance, phone. This grant helped me tremendously. I was able to replenish my bank account with the big dent from paying my bills. I am so thankful to those who donated to this fund.”
To donate to the ShockersUP campaign, click here. You may designate that your contribution support the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students or a separate fund to provide need-based scholarships for every academic college at Wichita State. To learn more about how you can make an impact, contact Darin Kater, WSU Foundation vice president, at 316-978-3887 or
darin.kater@wichita.edu.
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