Central Albertans have come together once again to help Red Deer Polytechnic students who are facing financial challenges.
In a call-out earlier this month, members of the Students’ Association at Red Deer Polytechnic raised $44,220 through a matching program for the RDP Student Bursary.
In response to the calls from students, community members gave $7,110 to the Student Bursary. With the pledge from the Students’ Association, the campaign raised $22,110, which will create $44,220 in bursaries available to students, due to the matching campaign.
“The Students’ Association of Red Deer Polytechnic is committed to giving back to our students when we can. This initiative is near and dear to our hearts. We appreciate all of the students, staff, and community members who dedicated their time to this event. Thanks for continuing to keep students in mind so that we all can invest in our futures,” said SARDP president, Savannah Snow in a news release.
According to the release, the RDP Student Bursary was established by a donor in April 2021 as a matching campaign to engage the community to work together to support students. The matching donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, pledged to directly match all donations made to the Student Bursary, up to $500,000. This creates $1 million in support for students in need.
“Financial concerns should never be a barrier to students who want to access post-secondary education, especially now as they’re facing so many other challenges,” said Jim Brinkhurst, interim president at Red Deer Polytechnic.
“It is inspiring to see students come forward, as the Students’ Association often has, to help connect our community to the needs of students, and to share how our donors make a difference in their lives.”