The WVU Foundation provided nearly $750,000 to students who needed financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. (WVU Photo)
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, West Virginia University alumni and friends are providing financial support to help students facing financial challenges proceed with their education and achieve their dreams.
Through the fall 2021 semester, a total of $748,062 in scholarship support has been awarded to 730 WVU students in need via “We Are Stronger Together,” a special fundraising initiative launched by the WVU Foundation. Contributions to the ongoing effort assist WVU students affected by the pandemic with tuition, room and board, and other educational expenses.
Many WVU students and their families are struggling to afford higher education costs amid the enduring economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without scholarship aid, these students may be forced to suspend attending classes, enroll elsewhere or drop out altogether.
“Receiving the ‘We Are Stronger Together’ scholarship meant the world to me,” WVU sophomore Josephine Moore said. “It relieved some of the stress I was facing during the pandemic while planning how I would be paying for my education. It prevented me from going into more student loan debt.”
Moore is majoring in exercise physiology and minoring in addiction studies. She plans to go to graduate school to become a physician assistant, so she can help tackle the opioid epidemic in West Virginia.
WVU senior Krish Thakkar is grateful for “We Are Stronger Together” scholarship support, which helped him continue his studies as his family faced financial challenges.
“It wouldn’t have been possible for me to survive and finish my education without the help of the scholarship,” Thakkar said. “My family would also like to extend their appreciation for all that you guys have done for me. … Any kind of donation is a big thing, and even a little donation changes the student’s life. Once I graduate and all my financials are settled, I would definitely donate for the well-being of the students.”
Thakkar is majoring in management information systems, with minors in business data analytics and business cybersecurity.
Donations to the “We Are Stronger Together” scholarship initiative can be made by contacting Jena Prokopchuk, WVU Foundation executive director of leadership annual giving, at 304-282-5929 or jprokopchuk@wvuf.org, or online via a secure giving webpage.
Students who believe they qualify should contact the Mountaineer Hub and submit an online ticket requesting assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Office of Financial Aid oversees awarding scholarships for all WVU students in accordance with each student’s aid eligibility.
All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
-WVU-
cr/12/14/21
CONTACT: Cassie Rice
Communications Specialist
WVU Foundation
304-554-0217; crice@wvuf.org
Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.