Overview:
Join us today in helping first-generation and underrepresented students earn a college degree.
Need:
When an emergency strikes, not all students have the resources they need to stay in school. This is particularly true for the growing numbers of first-generation and low-income students who are enrolled at Washburn University. While other avenues exist for Washburn students to seek financial support, they require an application, operate on a reimbursement basis and require receipts, or are one-time funds.
The Ichabod Opportunity Fund, by contrast, offers students timely, up front and, if needed, repeated support without an application process. This fund also awards scholarships to underrepresented students to help them continue their education amid extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
Rationale:
According to self-reported data, 47% of current Washburn undergraduate students identify as Ffrst-generation. These students are educational pioneers – the first members of their family to attend college and earn a bachelor’s degree. First-generation students bring with them an exceptional work ethic, but they often lack the financial resources to stay in school, especially when an emergency arises.
The Ichabod Opportunity Fund helps underrepresented students weather emergencies and stay on track for on-time graduation. Funds are applied directly to a student’s account to help with tuition, books, cost of living or extracurricular learning experiences.
Financial support makes an enormous difference in first-generation student success at Washburn. First-generation students who receive scholarships have higher GPAs, retention rates and graduation rates.
A gift to the Ichabod Opportunity Fund is a gift to educational opportunity for all – a historic part of Washburn’s mission.
Give today and join the growing network of donors and partners who are working to make Washburn the best university in Kansas for first-generation students.
