MCC ASSIST

AVANGRID FOUNDATION SUPPORTS STUDENTS THROUGH MCC ASSIST

The Avangrid Foundation renewed its investment in Monroe Community College’s Emergency Assistance program (MCC Assist) with a grant of $50,000 in 2023. MCC Assist provides students experiencing financial emergencies with microgrants of up to $500. Addressing these immediate and often unexpected situations allows students to persist in their studies.

Thanks to the support of private philanthropy, MCC Assist awarded approximately $75,000 to more than 350 students during the 2023-2024 academic year. The program, administered through MCC’s Financial Aid Office, is making a tremendous impact. The most frequently cited student needs were for rent or housing assistance, utilities and car repairs. Eighty percent of MCC Assist recipients remained in school or graduated. The Monroe Community College Foundation is grateful for Avangrid Foundation’s support of MCC Assist.

“A faculty member brought it to the attention of our staff that there was a student in her class who was facing homelessness and paying a daily rate to live at a motel on Rochester’s west side. We also learned that the student has two daughters who also attend MCC and were living in this motel room with her. MCC Assist staff were able to negotiate a room for this small family in MCC’s residence halls. A grant from MCC Assist helped underwrite some of the housing fees, allowing the family to stay together on campus in a safe environment with access to educational opportunities, and without the worry of eviction and monthly rent payments.”
—MCC Financial Aid Office staff member