NatSci receives MSUFCU grant to support student emergency fund
The College of Natural Science is the recipient of a $2,500 Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) Dean’s Choice grant to support its NatSci Undergraduate Emergency Assistance Fund.
The MSUFCU Dean's Choice program recognizes academic excellence and provides MSU deans with funds to allocate toward competitive academic programs in their colleges.
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“I am thrilled to have received the MSCFCU Dean’s Choice Grant,” said Heidi Purdy, College of Natural Science (NatSci) assistant dean of Academic Student Affairs, who submitted the successful proposal. “Support from this grant is turned directly into support for student success.”
The NatSci Undergraduate Emergency Assistance Fund, established in 2019 through the generosity of numerous contributors, is a current use fund that provides mini-grants to students to help ensure that unforeseen expenses do not put students’ education at risk. The fund is available for any eligible NatSci major up to $1,000 at one point in a student’s undergraduate career.
With students experiencing greater uncertainty about their financial circumstances during the global coronavirus pandemic, the college’s need to have ready access to emergency funds for students has never been more critical. To date, the fund, which began disbursements in April 2019, has helped 43 students, 31 since the pandemic began in mid-March 2020.
“The NatSci Undergraduate Emergency Assistance Fund has helped so many students, whether it is with buying books, paying for a final course or just giving financial security,” Purdy added. “This grant makes it possible to extend this support into the future.”
“Assistant Dean Heidi Purdy is a passionate advocate for students in the College of Natural Science, where the need for emergency financial support is often urgent, especially during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Phil Duxbury, NatSci dean. “We very much appreciate Heidi's work in the college and for her work in putting this compelling proposal together. Many thanks, too, for the generous support from MSUFCU.”
To donate to the fund today, visit the NatSci Give Green Day Project Page.
Banner image: The College of Natural Science (NatSci) at Michigan State University is home to 27 departments and programs in the biological, physical and mathematical sciences. The college averages $57M in research expenditures annually while providing world-class educational opportunities to more than 5,500 undergraduate majors and 1,200 graduate and postdoc students. The college has more than 63,000 living alumni worldwide.
