MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The first day of fall classes for WVU students is less than two months away.
University leaders are aware a number of students enrolled for August are from flood ravaged central and south eastern West Virginia.
While no calls for assistance, withdrawals or concern for beginning a semester under dire circumstances have poured in, they are anticipated.
Associate Dean of Students, Kim Mosby, is bringing attention to the Kenneth D. and Carolyn T. Gray Emergency Fund.
“It’s a grant fund. Students don’t have to pay it back. It’s for students who find themselves experiencing a true emergency that would cause a financial hardship and one that was totally unexpected,” Mosby explained.
Kenneth Gray is a former Vice President for Student Affairs at the university. The emergency fund is named for him and his wife.
In the fall of 2012 the Grays established the fund.
When it was announced, WVU noted the Grays wanted a way to provide immediate financial assistance to currently enrolled students who are unable to pay for immediate expenses like books, temporary housing, medical, travel and other non-tuition related needs.
It’s a resource that is good to have that nobody would ever hope to need.
“We probably just get three or four students per semester who actually apply for this fund,” Mosby shared. “I anticipate we’ll be using it quite a bit here in the next couple of weeks.”
Flash flooding June 23 claimed the lives of 23 people. The water and mud slides caused an estimated $16 million dollars in damages to highways in the state.
The American Red Cross provided overnight shelter for flood victims 1,700 times just a few days into recovery efforts.
WVU is utilizing a number of resources to try to get word to those flood victims who are students who may qualify for assistance through the Gray Emergency Fund.
“They can get information from our Student Life media accounts. There’s a facebook and a twitter account. We’re doing a lot right now to get the word out. There was information on e-news today too,” Mosby explained.
Members of the WVU community who are interested in donating to the
Kenneth D. and Carolyn T. Gray Emergency Fund
Gifts can be made at https://www.mountaineerconnection.com/WVFloodRelief.
The first day of classes is August 17.