College grant created to help financially challenged students cross the finish line

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Most scholarships focus on getting students into college, but an organization is working to ensure students already enrolled earn their degrees and get good jobs!

The rising cost of college can be a major barrier keeping some students from crossing the finish line, especially after this year's delayed FAFSA rollout.

The Last Mile Education Fund is designed for late-stage, low-income college students. The nonprofit works to help them graduate and enter the tech workforce. Their grants are awarded based on potential rather than prior success. Applicants are also individually reviewed instead of being compared to a pool of other students. That's translated into extra help for under-represented minorities in the I.T. field, like Blacks, Hispanics, and women.

The money helps with tuition and books like traditional scholarships, but the founder and CEO said students can also use it for food, transportation, and other needs to get them through the last few semesters of their college careers.

"The real goal here is to close that late-stage gap. Only 20% of students from the bottom two income quartiles finish in six or even eight years of starting college. That's such a loss, given that they've done the work and proven themselves. We need to give them the support to get there, launch into the workforce, and be part of our growing innovation economy," Ruthe Farmer said.

The application is open year-round, and it's quick and easy to fill out. Since its creation, Last Mile has awarded more than 8,000 grants totaling over $8.7 million.

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