91探花

Nonprofit has gifted $200,000 to USNH emergency funds since 2025

Concord, NH 鈥撎�Granite听Edvance听recently听donated $100,000 to student aid funds within the University System of New Hampshire, building on听an initial听gift of $100,000 in 2025.听The funds will听assist听undergraduate students at the University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, and Plymouth State University with short-term, non-academic expenses such as housing, transportation, and medical needs.听听

鈥淪ince we听made our first donation听to student aid funds two years ago, we鈥檝e heard powerful stories of these funds making a meaningful difference for students,鈥� said Granite听Edvance听President and CEO Christiana Thornton. 鈥淲e want to ensure students continue to get the support they need to stay enrolled, complete their degrees, and move toward the futures they鈥檝e worked so hard to build.鈥�听

The听additional听funding will support student emergency aid efforts already in place across the University System. Emergency funding can help students cover a wide range of needs, including food, transportation, housing costs, medical expenses, and textbooks.听听

听鈥淭he stress of unexpected expenses, even small ones, can hit college students especially hard, as many of them have made financial sacrifices to invest in their future goals,鈥� said Catherine Provencher, Chancellor of the University System of New Hampshire. 鈥淭hese donations will reduce that stress for hundreds of students and help them stay on track.鈥�听

听College staff who administer the funds say the aid has played a critical role for students. At UNH, for example, the funds recently helped a student who was facing eviction, a student who needed transportation back to their residence hall following an evening class at a different听school, and a first-generation student whose carefully planned budget took a hit when their textbook听fees were听more than expected.听听

听鈥淚t is so difficult to ask for help, so stigmatizing听and听can leave听students听feeling听quite vulnerable,鈥� said Patty Mathison, Basic Needs Coordinator and Case Manager at UNH. 鈥淚 see the very palpable relief on a student鈥檚 face when I鈥檓 able to support them.鈥澨�听

听Requests for financial听assistance听are usually modest, but听it鈥檚听challenging to cover them all, said Diana Daigle, Assistant Director of Community Impact and Campus Connection at Plymouth State University. With Granite听Edvance鈥檚听support, 鈥淲e鈥檙e听able to say 鈥榶es鈥櫶齧ore听often, and we are so grateful for that,鈥� she said.听听

听Marney Buss, Dean of Students at Keene State College, agreed. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how we鈥檇 do any of what we鈥檙e able to do without this funding,鈥� she said.听

Granite听Edvance, a statewide nonprofit that helps students and families plan and pay for college and career training, has donated $380,000 to student emergency aid funds in the Community College System of New Hampshire and the University System of New Hampshire since February 2024. In total, 382 students have been supported by these funds. Additionally, Granite听Edvance听donated $2,000 to each of the three food pantries at UNH, Keene State, and Plymouth State earlier this year.听听

鈥淚n keeping with our mission, we鈥檙e always looking for ways to promote student success and address the obstacles听that听students face,鈥� Thornton said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful to our partners around the state who are helping students access education, stay on track, and reach their goals, and we鈥檙e pleased to support them in this critical work.鈥�听

About Granite听Edvance听

Granite听Edvance听is a New Hampshire nonprofit that supports New Hampshire students and their families through free career and higher-education counseling and resources, as well as through funding听assistance听including scholarships and competitive private student loans. Established in 1962, the organization听rebranded听as Granite听Edvance听in November 2023. Granite听Edvance听Corporation offers private student loan products, including the Granite听Edvance听Student Loan, the听EdvestinU听Private Student Loan, the Granite听Edvance听Refinance Loan, the听EdvestinU听Refinance Loan, and the Granite听Edvance听Parent Loan. Loans offered by Granite听Edvance听Corporation may be funded by Granite听Edvance听Corporation or Bank of Lake Mills, member FDIC.鈥�鈥�听

鈥�听About the University System of New Hampshire听听

The University System of New Hampshire enrolls 25,000 students and consists of three public institutions: Keene State College, Plymouth State University, and the University of New Hampshire. USNH strives to ensure the availability of high quality, affordable and accessible higher educational opportunities throughout New Hampshire and attracts, equips, and听retains听critical members of the state workforce. A 28-member Board of Trustees听is responsible for听overseeing the University System.听

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