As student need rises, more college faculty set up emergency aid funds

As of fall 2022, Stony Brook is one of 33 higher ed institutions where students can apply for money through a local FAST Fund to help cover an education expense or address a basic life need. Started as a pilot program at just a few colleges in 2016, the model is proliferating as professors and staff across the country realize that many of their students need gift certificates to local grocery stores in order to eat, or train tickets and gas money to make it to class, or $200 to pay for required health care licensing exams at the end of senior year.