Roxbury Community College today announced that it has raised $1 million for the newly-established Jackie Jenkins-Scott Bridge Fund which will provide financial support to students if they need help with unexpected expenses and crises that could prevent them from earning their degrees. Many RCC students balance their education with working full-time, supporting families, and more, which are factors that can disrupt their ability to continue their studies. If faced with financial emergencies or other unexpected hardships, students’ educational plans can be derailed entirely. The Bridge Fund aims to prevent that from happening.
Named for outgoing interim president, Jenkins-Scott, the Bridge Fund will be administered through Project Access, the college’s long-established resource dedicated to helping its students navigate non-academic challenges, and the Center for Workforce Development and will help students navigate these challenges and stay on track to complete their degrees. The first-of-its-kind fund was designed to enable direct, quick-turnaround grants that effectively meet three types of needs that traditional financial aid mediums cannot:
“Many RCC students face systemic challenges that can lead to financial emergencies or unexpected hardships, potentially impeding their education. Establishing a dedicated fund to assist students in overcoming these challenges is crucial, and it embodies RCC’s spirit of supporting its community,” said Jenkins-Scott, outgoing Interim President of RCC. “It is an honor to have served RCC as interim president these past few years and an even greater one to be the namesake of a fund that will continue to serve the community in the years to come.”
Announced at RCC’s 50th Anniversary Gala in February 2024, this fundraising feat comes just four months after opening for donations. This milestone is, in large part, thanks to the generous support of donors like Phillip and Elizabeth Gross, the Rowland Foundation, the Boston Foundation, Jim Geraghty, and more.
“At a time when even the smallest unplanned expense can upend a family budget, The Jackie Jenkins-Scott Bridge Fund is a brilliant, critically-needed resource for students,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “No one should have to choose between basics like food, shelter, housing and transportation and advancing their education and career, and it is a fitting tribute to caring, creative and compassionate leadership of Jackie Jenkins-Scott to name this fund in her honor.”
A gift of any size can help an RCC student complete their life-changing educational journey. To donate to the Jackie Jenkins-Scott Bridge Fund, visit the Fund’s website.
