360 Fund
Emily Griffith Foundation recognizes that students are best suited to decide what they need to be successful and, in 2014, established the 360 Fund, a student support fund which provides emergency cash stipends for Emily Griffith students experiencing unforeseen hardships and needing support to help them persist and complete their programs.
These cash stipends can be used for housing, transportation, medical, or childcare costs—any financial support the student deems necessary to help them stay in their classes through program completion. This trust-based financial empowerment model of providing wraparound support to students has proven successful at helping them remain in their classes and finish their programs.
Scholarships
While Emily Griffith Technical College’s tuition rates are among the lowest in the state, the College doesn’t participate in federal student loan programs, thus low-income students rely on other types of financial aid. Many students are Pell-eligible (meaning their total family income is less than $50,000), but Pell grants rarely cover the full cost of tuition, and there are varying reasons a student may not access these funds.
The cost per participant to attend Emily Griffith Technical College will vary depending on their program of study and the individual’s financial needs. Emily Griffith Technical College leverages all financial resources available to each individual student to ensure all students have the opportunity to graduate without debt.
In FY21 (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021), Emily Griffith Foundation gave $1,113,789 in support to the College, 68% of which went directly to students in the form of tuition scholarships and 360 Fund support.
Support for New Americans
Emily Griffith has provided literacy and language classes to New Americans since opening its doors on September 9, 1916. As there is limited public and government grant money available for programs for New Americans such as those offered at Emily Griffith Technical College, the Foundation is continually seeking support for these services that serve as a critical bridge to the College’s career-training programs, and can help students transfer skills from prior training or experience to work in Colorado
Upskilling and reskilling are essential for an agile workforce, thus providing individualized, contextualized support for underserved and underrepresented populations is more important than ever. As many of Emily Griffith Technical College’s New American students do not qualify for state-funded refugee services or other types of financial and social assistance, continuing to offer these services to all New Americans is critical to rebuilding post-pandemic and ensuring an equitable recovery in Colorado.