Green Bay Reporter

UW-Green Bay has been awarded a $50,000 grant to provide individualized guidance and support to students who have experience in foster care, homelessness, or who have been orphaned or are wards of the state. The services supported by this grant will aid current UW-Green Bay students as well as those who enroll in the future.

The grant funding will ensure students have 1:1 access to a case manager, provide basic living amenities (bed linens, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, shelf-stable food, etc.), and emergency grants for unexpected expenses. Also included is a monthly “family dinner” event featuring speakers to share information that will further guide students towards attaining their degree.

This initiative aims to provide access to education for all who want to learn in an accessible and sustainable way. Leadership of the program will come from the Dean of Students office and work closely with Enrollment and Admissions areas. “Without a doubt, there are individuals who have aged out of foster care, who face homelessness or who lack support who believe a college degree is simply unattainable,” says Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Gail Sims-Aubert. “These grant monies will provide mentorship, financial support and provision of necessities that will lessen barriers and make the dream of going to college achievable for many.”

The initiative was spearheaded by Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management Jen Jones and Sims-Aubert. They recognized the need for this type of program at UW-Green Bay and are working to provide the necessary infrastructure. Their combined goal is to lessen common barriers for degree-seeking students such as finding affordable housing, navigating the college experience on their own, and food/supply insecurity.

Students looking to access the services provided by this grant can visit the Phoenix Cares website or contact the Dean of Students Office.

About UW-Green Bay

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay serves 10,300 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 67,500 continuing education learners annually. It offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates across four campus locations in Northeast Wisconsin. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is Wisconsin’s fastest-growing university within the UW system.