More than $900,000 raised for pandemic-related assistance

Thank you for generously supporting Catholic University students who have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

“To the donors: Thank you very much for your help to the attending students at Catholic University. The COVID-19 pandemic is breaking the world apart, but what you have done shows the students that we are all in this together, looking after each other. It is truly an extraordinary out-of-classroom educational experience. I feel happy to be part of the Catholic University family.”

— Student recipient of a grant funded by the Light the Way Crisis Response Fund

To date, Catholic University has raised more than $900,000 through the Light the Way Crisis Response Fund. Additionally, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided the University with more than $1 million to distribute to students.

“These two funding sources were the difference in some students’ ability to continue their academic pursuits and illustrate how alumni and friends of Catholic University care for our students’ experiences, both inside and outside the classroom.”

— Judi Biggs Garbuio, vice president for Student Affairs

Of those who have applied for assistance, close to 82% — more than 1,000 students and their families — have received assistance through the Light the Way Crisis Response Fund or CARES Act funds. 

More than $100,000 in emergency aid has been distributed to students who applied for assistance through the Office of the Dean of Students. Now, the Office of Enrollment Management is starting to distribute one-time tuition assistance grants for students returning in the fall. These are meant to aid students whose families have experienced financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

“While the Light the Way Crisis Response fund helps ensure that our students experiencing crisis can make it through these times and continue their studies, it also helps the University rise to meet challenges that lie ahead in the current environment. These generous donors have kept our Catholic University family together and made it stronger.”

— Scott Rembold, vice president for University Advancement