Kennesaw State Launches Online Portal For Students In Need

KENNESAW, GA — Kennesaw State University has launched a new website for students dealing with financial hardship so that they can get the help and resources they need to succeed in college.

The new website, financialhardship.kennesaw.edu, available to any Kennesaw State undergraduate or graduate student, will provide support for students who are struggling financially and need emergency assistance.

“Dealing with financial hardship can mean many things for many students,” said Marcy Stidum, director of KSU’s Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment (CARE) Services, the unit that supports students who are dealing with homelessness, food insecurity and/or the foster care system.

A collaboration with the offices of the Dean of Students, Financial Aid, CARE Services and Scholarships, the website provides a direct portal for students to click a button and submit their information securely online. In turn, they will be matched with a KSU case manager within 48 hours who will direct them to financial and other KSU resources and those within the greater community.

“KSU has so many resources and services to support our students, but sometimes it is difficult for students to navigate all of the different places where those resources are housed,” said Michael Sanseviro, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students. “Bringing multiple resources together in one easy-to-navigate place, and then adding an enhanced case management approach, allows us to best understand all of the nuances of a student's individual needs and best match those needs to the right resources.”

Kennesaw State is one of many universities nationwide that are providing emergency aid or assistance as part of a growing national trend to support students in their collegiate journeys.
“Many times, we find students in need by happenstance,” said Stidum, who favors this single-point-of-contact strategy. “Some are being pushed from one part of the university to another, and this website will allow us to streamline services and provide a user-friendly space to address financial hardships among our struggling students.”

University officials will work with campus resources, community partners and potential donors to help students in need. Emergency loans and scholarships, financial aid and other financial options are all resources that the University can offer to help students to stabilize their situation, Stidum added.