Emergency Aid

Student Emergency Fund

Finish Line Grant / Emergency Funds

In an effort to help support students in achieving high graduation and staying in college at NC community colleges, Governor Roy Cooper announced the Finish Line Grant on July 12, 2018. Many times students are faced with unforeseen financial circumstances that can impact their graduation or enrollment. These funds will help students to overcome these financial barriers to completing their training and education.

The primary objective of the Finish Line Grant and Emergency funds are to resolve financial issues that students may encounter so they are able to focus on their studies.

Finish Line Grant funds can be used for the following types of needs (plus others):

Transportation: assistance may be provided to assist the student to get to the community college.
Tuition and Fees: assistance may be provided for students who have encountered financial hardship that has negatively impacted the student’s ability to pay for tuition and fees.
Housing: assistance may be provided to students to maintain or obtain adequate or temporary shelter while participating in educational activities.
Financial emergencies that prevent the payment of a utility bill (water, gas, and electric)
Childcare or dependent care
Financial emergencies that prevent the payment of a medical bill
Accommodations for individuals with disabilities

The eligibility requirements for a student to receive the Finish Line Grant are:

Have a good academic standing (GPA 2.0 or better)
Have completed (or currently be enrolled in) at least 25% of a program’s credit hours toward a certificate, diploma, or degree (Continuing Education or Curriculum)
The maximum grant per student per semester is $1,000

Required documents:

Copy of bill to be paid
Other documentation may be required

Students who are experiencing an unforeseen emergency that do not qualify for the Finish Line Grant may qualify for funds through the Foundation’s ECMC Emergency Fund.

ECMC Emergency Funds

Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) is pleased to provide guidelines for the Emergency Aid Program offered to your institution as part of Project Success. Project Success is an initiative designed by the U.S. Department of Education to help minority-serving institutions improve student success and institutional outcomes and is administered by ECMC.

As part of the goal to provide services to your students to assist them in achieving postsecondary educational success, the Emergency Aid Program supports student persistence toward degree completion by removing unforeseen financial obstacles from their path, which if not resolved quickly, could cause students to abandon their plans for higher education.

There are no fees charged to the school for this program, but the school is required to assign staff, including a designated primary point of contact, to work with ECMC to implement and administer the program. The school will administer the funds and provide eligible students facing short-term, nonrecurring emergencies with an award of emergency aid dollars to remedy the situation. The student requesting the aid will complete an online application and submit supporting documentation of the emergency. The school will use a predetermined list of criteria to approve or deny a student’s request. The school must complete all required documentation in the online portal and adhere to all program guidelines for the use of emergency aid funds to remain eligible for this program.

Eligible students will:

Be enrolled part-time or full-time in a certificate, associate or bachelor’s degree program at the time of the aid request. The program does not extend to graduate students.
Complete the online application provided by ECMC and upload supporting documentation of the financial need (i.e., required uninsured medical treatment, automotive repair estimate, documented notice of unexpected change in housing or utilities expense).
Benefit from having an expense paid with emergency aid through this program, not to exceed $500 during the life of the aid program.
Be enrolled during the semester in which emergency aid funds are awarded.
Be entitled to use of the emergency aid funds with no expectation of repayment.

Emergency aid funds may:

Be paid to third parties by the institution or by issuing a gift card for a student’s financial emergency—defined here as an unforeseen expense that, if not resolved quickly, could lead to the student’s departure from the institution and loss of momentum toward completion. Categories of
- Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, utilities, housing/rent, food, medical/dental, transportation and childcare.
- Be awarded for the unexpected expenses of an eligible undergraduate regardless of how many credits the student has earned (there is no undergraduate credit minimum or maximum for this program).

Emergency aid funds may NOT:

Be used to cover school expenses (parking, fines, tuition, books, supplies, required tools/equipment, etc.).
Be used to pay prior balances owed to the school.
Be paid directly to the student.
Be released without a completed application and supporting documentation.
Be used for any reason outside the program guidelines.

Application Procedure

Please see the ECMC Emergency Aid Application Link https://app.bybeam.co/halifaxcc/login.

Complete applications must include the completed ECMC Emergency Aid Application form and all required signatures. Be sure your institution meets all requirements and is fully on board with how this program works and what is involved before spending time completing the Application materials. Institutional commitment to the program has been key to past successes.

Begin collaborating right away with the people who will need to have input on your plans and ultimately sign off on your Application.
Read each Application question carefully and answer each part.

After you have applied:

After applicants have submitted their application materials, the college contact may conduct follow-up calls with applicants as needed to gather any additional information. The college contact will notify applicants of final funding decisions within 24 of submitting the completed application.

PLEASE NOTE— Participation in the Emergency Aid Program and aid funds received are not guaranteed and are subject to change at the discretion of ECMC.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Pat Hux at (252) 536-7244 or [email protected]