Panola College to receive $122,500 in emergency aid for students

Panola College will receive a total of $122,500 over a three-year period from the Texas Emergency Aid Roadmap grant program. The funds will be distributed to students who face unexpected and untimely crises that could prevent them from completing their education.

The program will require students to complete a brief application, identifying their unanticipated financial emergency. The program is expected to launch on Oct. 1.

“Panola College was selected to participate in the Texas Emergency Aid Roadmap for demonstrating a strong commitment to student success and a thoughtful approach to meeting students’ needs,” said Leslie Gurrola, the Director of Programs and Strategy for Greater Texas Foundation. “We’re excited to extend the reach and impact of the good work that is already happening here.”

The Texas Emergency Aid Roadmap is a three-year, $1.5 million grant program funded by Greater Texas Foundation to help ten community colleges across Texas develop efficient, equitable, and sustainable emergency aid programs to ensure students receive the support they need to persist through financial crises. Panola College was one of ten Texas community colleges selected to receive the grant.

Greater Texas Foundation supports efforts to ensure all Texas students are prepared for, have access to, persist in, and complete a postsecondary education. Since its inception in 2001, the Foundation has approved over $100 million in grants to support Texas students.

“Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, our students’ financial challenges have increased,” said Jessica Pace, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Panola College. “In fact, on our most recent financial wellness survey, 63 percent of our students indicated that their family’s finances have worsened since before the pandemic. With this grant, we hope to establish a permanent emergency funding program to support our students and help them stay on their educational journeys.”

In 2019, Panola College began working toward assisting students in emergency situations by establishing the Feed the Need comfort closet program. Aimed at helping those who may be experiencing basic living insecurities, the program has served nearly 400 students.

“Some crises affect entire communities; others are personal. Either way, the effects on students can be devastating,” said Sue McMillin, President and CEO of Greater Texas Foundation. “The Texas Emergency Aid Roadmap program is designed to help colleges be there for their students no matter what crisis they’re facing.”

For more information about Greater Texas Foundation, visit www.greatertexasfoundation.org. For a complete list of student resources offered at Panola College, visit www.panola.edu/resources.