Resilience Scholarship Fund
Donate directly to current student members
College Houses members have faced more and more challenges in recent years. Student expenses and debt are rising and students increasingly must work one or more jobs in addition to their full-time course work. What’s more, the economic effects of COVID-19 have disproportionately impacted many of our members who work less stable, part-time jobs.
Seeing these challenges, we created the Resilience Scholarship Fund, which provides direct rent relief to members experiencing financial barriers. Powered 100% by donations from our community, the every dollar given to the fund goes directly to cover rent for the co-opers who will most benefit from it. Will you help us grow the Resilience Scholarship Fund and provide financial stability for our co-op members?
Thank-You Gifts
- If you donate $35 or more to directly help out a co-oper, you’ll receive a snazzy, donor-exclusive sticker.
- If you donate $150 or more, you’ll also receive a College Houses T-shirt, usually exclusive to current members.
- If you donate $500 or more, you’ll receive the above, plus your name included on a plaque about the fund at our leasing office for at least one year. Thank you!
Note: Items will be delivered as soon as we can, pending COVID-19 related issues. Thanks for your patience!
More Details
How else can I donate?
You can donate by check, which also avoids online payment fees. Please mail your check to:
College Houses
1906 Pearl Street
Austin, TX 78705
Please make out the check to “College Houses” and add “Resilience Scholarship Fund” to the memo line. For more options and info, please email [email protected].
How will these scholarships work to support members?
- Each qualifying member who applies will get up to $500 as a direct rent credit.
- Members will qualify if they have already created a payment plan with staff, which allows more time to pay rent. Members will decide how much assistance they need, up to the maximum. Members are also encouraged to seek other forms of emergency assistance.
- After members graduate, they will be encouraged to donate back the amount they received when they have stable income and are able to do so comfortably. This so-called “Moral Obligation Scholarship” system will allow each donation to stretch further and help more co-opers over time.
- As the fund grows, the board of directors will consider raising the amount of assistance above $500.
- The Resilience Scholarship Fund will be an ongoing source of emergency support for members who need it. Even after COVID-19 subsides, we will continue the fund to help members for years to come!
What has College Houses already done to support co-opers during COVID-19?
College Houses acted quickly to adapt to COVID-19. Our houses have increased cleaning labor, members received guidelines for complying with safety regulations, meetings have transitioned to teleconferencing, and more. At the very start of the pandemic, we also lowered the fee for breaking one’s lease, which provided a solution for members that felt it was best for them to move home.
We’re so proud of our response to this crisis so far. We hope you will help us do even more to support our members. With enough support, the Resilience Scholarship Fund can grow and remain a valuable resource to members even after the pandemic wanes.
What if I want to help, but now isn’t the right time to donate?
The biggest way you can help is to spread the word about what we’re doing. Share this page on Facebook, or better yet, send a text to other friends of the co-ops. You can also contact us to become a fundraising volunteer. Thank you so much!