Be a part of the incredible student success happening at COCC

A year and a half into her health care studies at Central Oregon Community College (COCC), Reynell, a Medical Assistant student, hit a major roadblock.   

“Being a single mom and a full-time student while working as many hours as possible only allows me so much wiggle room of extra funds,” she says. Paying her tuition, so close to completing her studies, suddenly felt out of reach. “For about two weeks I was barely hanging on, and just knew that I might need to go back to work full time in order to pay for any unexpected life moment.”



Help arrived in the form of a COCC Emergency Fund award, dollars that helped Reynell register for the next term and breathe easier. Supported by COCC Foundation donors, the fund provides emergency assistance for needs like tuition costs, car repairs, electric bills and other critical requests. It’s a resource that serves as a backstop when other needs-based aid options have already been tapped out.



Amounts vary, but a student enrolled in 12 or more credits can receive up to $1,000 per term. A total of $16,769 has been awarded so far this term. And as dollars are awarded, the learning keeps turning.



For Reynell, who has known she wanted to work in the medical field since she was a little girl, she is now a step closer to that career. “My mom has worked in the medical field all my life and I remember going to her job after school some days and being so fascinated by all the doctors and nurses,” she says. “This (Emergency Fund) program makes me feel like not only my professors, but all of COCC wants to see me achieve my goals.”

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“This (Emergency Fund) program makes me feel like not only my professors, but all of COCC wants to see me achieve my goals.”

With a history that traces back to 2005, the Emergency Fund was born from a sizeable bequest that established the Robert & Margaret Turner Endowment; annual earnings are set aside for this specific assistance. Additional gifts have since raised the ceiling of the total fund, and during year one of the pandemic, the Foundation channeled dollars from more than 60 individual donations into the account.

Michelle and Evan Ujiiye of Bend have been supporting the fund for the past year. “Some students face things that make it necessary for them to interrupt their education,” says Michelle, who had connected with the Foundation to establish an endowment for scholarships. “The Emergency Fund can mean the difference between success or failure for these students. It is a privilege to help someone keep going and accomplish their goals.”

Applicants to the COCC Emergency Fund need to have completed state and federal student aid assistance and be enrolled in a minimum of six credits, along with meeting satisfactory financial aid office academic progress requirements. Requests come in for essential things that keep a life on its path. Child care, for instance, is a growing area of support.

“The Emergency Fund has made it possible for me to continue my education in becoming a nurse,” says Kate, a second-year student who plans to specialize in emergency medicine and critical care. “I started the Nursing program in 2021 and took the 2022 year off as we welcomed our baby into the world on the first day of fall term. I returned this year, 2023, to complete the program with a one-year-old in tow.”



A Nursing program classmate of Kate’s, also a mom, mentioned the fund as child care eligible. “Without the Emergency Fund I don’t know how we would afford child care this term while I am at school,” she says. “This resource goes to hard-working students trying to manage their families while obtaining or continuing their education.”

Be part of the incredible student success happening at COCC and consider a year-end, tax-deductible contribution to the COCC Emergency Fund. Donate online today by going to cocc.edu/give or by calling 541-383-7225.