Idaho Community Foundation awards $55,000 to help at-risk students finish degrees

The Idaho Community Foundation has awarded more than $55,000 in grants to four Idaho colleges and universities to help students facing financial emergencies stay enrolled and complete their degrees.

The 2026 grants, distributed through the foundation’s Student Loan Fund of Idaho Education Fund, totaled $55,043. Boise State University Foundation received $14,543, while the College of Eastern Idaho Foundation, College of Western Idaho Foundation and University of Idaho Foundation each received $13,500.

The fund targets students within one academic year of graduation who encounter unexpected financial hardships such as situations that can force them to leave school just short of the finish line. Grant money can be used to cover tuition and fees, housing, books and supplies, transportation, medical or dental costs, food and child care.

“The final stretch to graduation can be one of the most important and most vulnerable times in a student’s education,” said Kent Fogg, the foundation’s director of impact. “When an unexpected expense like a car repair, medical bill or loss of family support threatens a student’s ability to stay enrolled, this fund helps institutions step in at a critical moment.”

The Idaho Community Foundation, which has operated for nearly 40 years, said the program is designed to strengthen Idaho’s workforce pipeline by keeping near-graduate students on track. Institutions eligible for the grants must have a process in place for identifying students in financial distress.

Those interested in contributing to the fund can do so at IdahoCF.org. https://www.idahocf.org/

This story was written using artificial intelligence with human oversight.