Dreamkeepers Emergency Assistance Program
In 2005 Durham Tech was one of 11 community colleges in the nation selected for a three-year pilot project to assist students facing emergencies. The college received $100,000 over three years to help students who were at risk of dropping out of Durham Tech because of unexpected crises they could not manage financially. For many community college students, several weeks of missed work or an unpredictable expense from an accident or illness can mean a sudden lack of funds for rent, utilities, or other life needs. If they have no other resources, students may have to discontinue their studies in order to focus on finding funds. Once a student drops out, it can easily be years before they’ll be in a position to return to school.

It all began when The Lumina Foundation for Education awarded a $1.5 million grant to Scholarship America to help design and test the assistance program within a group of community colleges. Since the initial three-year pilot study, the number of involved colleges has almost tripled and other major funders have joined.

“Community colleges have told us that one way to help keep these students in school is to establish a fund that would help colleges address their emergency needs,” said Martha D. Lamkin, CEO and president of the Lumina Foundation. “This program is designed to support the success of these students by cultivating a mechanism for institutions and communities to respond to their particular needs.”

From inception, one aspect of the national Dreamkeepers project has been for colleges to continue running and funding their programs after the startup period ends. Each college is expected to firmly embed Dreamkeepers in their institution so that a network of programs takes root across the country. In this way, more students will be able to reach their educational and career goals.

During the last two years of the pilot the Durham Technical Community College Foundation raised $35,000 in required matching funds for the program. The Dreamkeepers Emergency Assistance Program was the focal point of the late fall 2005 Campus Fund Drive, and many on-campus donors designated their annual gifts to this program. Presentations were made during each quarterly Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Directors meeting.  In fall 2011, the Foundation Board of Directors was updated on the status of the Dreamkeepers program and heard from a student first-hand how the program enabled him to stay in school at a time when he had lost necessary funds to pay bills.

As Dreamkeepers at Durham Tech begins its eighth year, excitement is in the air. The DTCC Foundation is reigniting fundraising efforts for Dreamkeepers and beginning new initiatives. At the same time, Durham Tech’s program is expanding in scope and updating its technology.  Thanks to Scholarship America and national funding, the college is implementing an online application for assistance that will streamline the process for students.  Also, new approaches are being developed for communicating about the program to the campus community. 

It takes determination and hard work to achieve dreams. But sometimes the unexpected sabotages even the best made plans. Students’ dreams of a college education can fade away fast when a personal financial emergency threatens.

Single mother Katie Haney’s schedule makes your head spin. She is the mother of a young daughter, a full-time student taking core classes in Durham Tech’s Associate Degree Nursing program, and she works as a server at a busy Durham restaurant. Recently Haney faced a conflict.

“I realized there wasn’t enough money for extra childcare,” Haney said. She would need to stay home with her child, missing crucial first days of the semester. Some emergency funds from DreamKeepers allowed her to start the semester on time — with her daughter safely in childcare.

Tracey Aviles enrolled in Durham Tech after realizing that not having a college degree was affecting her career path. She is in the University Transfer program in Business Administration and has a part-time job. When her husband was laid off from his job, Tracey thought she would have to quit her studies.

“DreamKeepers was a lifesaver,” she said. The emergency assistance helped with some pressing bills, enabling Tracey to remain at Durham Tech.

Durham Technical Community College
1637 Lawson Street
Durham, NC 27703
919-536-7200

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