By Aiecher Bains
A student’s financial situation can have a huge impact on their ability to complete their study and can even be a reason some students postpone or abandon their studies altogether. The CQUniCares annual appeal is a University initiative focused on giving back to students. The CQUniCares fund was established with a $100,000 donation from alumna Moya Gold (BA, 1980), and now includes student success scholarships and emergency grants, which means low-socioeconomic and struggling students have access to ongoing financial support: a vital additional support mechanism to help their study and career goals. In December 2020, CQUniversity held its fifth annual fundraising appeal to raise these much-needed funds.
The 2020 CQUniCares appeal theme was “Give Hope” – and given the ongoing struggle caused by the COVID-19 pandemic – it resonated with many. More than 100 CQUni alumni donated to the appeal, which is an outstanding 51 per cent increase from the 2019 appeal. Overall, $80,000 was raised for Student Success Scholarships and Student Emergency Grants.
A new appeal initiative in 2020 saw 26 alumni sign up as Ambassadors. These Ambassadors amplified and promoted the appeal by sharing content on their own Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn profiles. The ambassadors spread further awareness of the appeal, resulting in more donations and funding that goes right back into supporting our students to excel. There are many ways to support the Appeal, and we are incredibly grateful all our alumni Appeal Ambassadors – thank you.
We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to all donors for helping provide such support and opportunity for the CQUniversity community. It’s important for students to feel supported and encouraged throughout their tertiary studies. These donations have become an important part of the support network we offer our students to help them deal with the burden of financial stress.
Students that have previously received assistance from the CQUniCares Student Success Funds have acknowledged that the financial support from the University allowed them to stay and comfortably complete their degrees. Sean Campbell, a single father of three, and Zac Newland, an engineering student, both stated that thanks to the CQUniCares scholarship they were able to purchase textbooks and other coursework equipment as well as pay for travel costs and accommodation expenses. This support meant they were able to stay focused on their studies.
We are immensely grateful for all your support and the difference we can make in our student’s lives together. Thank you once again from the CQUniversity team for helping give hope and opportunity to those that need it.
