The Bridge Fund

Stonehill College created The Bridge Fund to assist hardworking Stonehill students with great financial need, providing a quick turnaround for our students when their family faces unexpected financial hardships.

Support the Bridge Fund
Graduation hat with purple flowers and 2025
The Bridge Fund helps students persist to graduation.

At Stonehill College, we are committed to ensuring that we help make our world-class education accessible and affordable to every student. We understand that being able to stay at Stonehill can be an uphill battle for some students.

Stonehill created the Bridge Fund in 2016 to provide financial support to students facing an unexpected financial setback that leaves them in danger of not being able to complete their college education.

Administered through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, the Bridge Fund enables a quick turnaround for funding requests from qualified students whose families are facing inordinate financial hardship.

Your support represents an opportunity for growth, security, and hope for my family and me. It eases the financial burden of pursuing education, allowing me to focus on my studies and personal development without the constant worry of financial constraints.

The Bridge Fund in Action

graduates walking down the hill

During its earliest years, the Bridge Fund supported around 10 students per year who experienced financial emergencies. Financial hardships peaked in 2021 with 32 students receiving Bridge Fund support as our students and their families managed the challenging repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We continue to support the needs of students and families facing unanticipated issues, but we are grateful to see the number of requests leveling out as we return to a range of 10-15 students per year receiving Bridge Fund support. Since its establishment, nearly 150 students have received Bridge Fund awards totaling over $375,000. Your support of the Bridge Fund will continue to provide funding to deserving Stonehill students to allow them to continue their education in the face of hardship. 

Bridge Fund Recipient

Juan Lopez, a proud Stonehill graduate of 2018, talked about the importance of the Bridge Fund in a 2017 article in the Boston Globe saying,

“If it wasn’t for [the Bridge Fund], I probably would [have been] out of here by the end of my freshman year. I would be working at a factory or a landscaping job, going to community college and hoping to transfer my credit.”

Instead, Juan graduated cum laude in 2018 and was offered a job in his home city of Chicago as an Advisor at Nuveen. Students like Juan, who have benefitted from the Bridge Fund, received support for expenses ranging from health insurance coverage to meal fund assistance to funds for required textbooks—areas of significant financial burden that can cause a student to withdraw.

I'm happy to support the Bridge Fund. I know what it's like to not know if tuition is going to be paid... you feel helpless. Hope this helps a Stonehill family.

Bridge Fund Support

Student Expenses

In Academic Year 2024-2025, 15 students received Bridge Fund awards with a specific focus on book assistance. High costs can become a significant factor in continuing college education. The Bridge Fund allows students to focus less on financial limitations and concentrate on their education—academic courses, mentorship, opportunities for internships and/or studying abroad in their college experience

15
Students Receiving Bridge Fund Awards

This year the Bridge Fund was a critical source of support primarily for students who needed to purchase required books for their courses and could not afford them—supporting their ability to complete course work and achieve academic success.

Bridge Fund Impact

2024-2025 Academic Year Recipient

"As a first-gen student, attending college has always been extremely important. However, being an independent student, I used to worry about how I would be able to afford to attend college. The support I receive significantly lessens the financial burden and makes attending college much more attainable."

2024-2025 Academic Year Recipient

"Unfortunately, my dad has been struggling with unemployment for the last year, which has been really tough, but that is why every little bit helps. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am to every single benefactor who gives help to people in need. I appreciate you so much for helping me continue my education in a place where I thrive, I seriously couldn't do it without you."

2024-2025 Academic Year Recipient

"This is a tremendous support for me and my family, allowing me the balance of working part-time while maintaining my focus on full-time studies. I am deeply grateful to my benefactors for making this possible and for their generosity, which directly fuels my academic journey."

2023-2024 Academic Year Recipient

"I have been awarded the Bridge Fund the past three years at Stonehill. I am so grateful as my experiences at Stonehill have exceeded my expectations. With the Bridge Fund, I am able to attend this school where I will receive my bachelor’s degree in environmental science in the spring. Many thanks to the donors of this fund. I am eternally grateful and so appreciative. I am looking forward to my final year at Stonehill and all the opportunities it has to offer."

I would like to thank the donor(s) for the Bridge Fund. Words cannot adequately convey how much your support has meant to me during such a challenging time. When I desperately searched for a way to cover my bills, your generosity helped, preventing me from dropping out in my junior year. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for providing this opportunity. Your support has truly made a significant impact on my life.

Support the Bridge Fund

Your gift to the Bridge Fund makes a big difference in the lives of our students and their families - thank you!

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