During the 1940s, if a student faced a financial emergency, some faculty members were known to dip into their own pockets to help tide the student over.
That sort of thing might be read the wrong way today, but E.V. Bishoff -- who attended Penn State at that time and related the story -- recognized that such special needs still arise, said Rod Kirsch, who is the university vice president for development and alumni relations.
"All the emergencies that students experience haven't gone away," Kirsch said.
Bishoff donated $10,000 last summer to fund the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP) at Penn State. Since then, at least 16 students have received as much as $500 each to aid with some of their expenses after a parent died, lost his or her job, or stopped getting benefits.
"They will not pay a student's tuition but can help the student put together the last dollars necessary," Kelly Snyder, an associate director in the Office of Student Aid, said.
Students don't need to pay back the modest-sized grants, Snyder added.
Snyder said the Office of Student Aid typically sees more than 600 students a year who face extreme financial hardships and might be eligible to benefit from SNAP.
Students aided through the program are asked to provide third-party documentation of their need as well as estimates of current-year income.
With the money soon to run out on the initial non-endowed gift, university officials are hoping to continue the program.
Bishoff is considering adding to his original donation but hopes that other alumni or friends of the university will contribute as well, said Mike Bezilla, director of development communications and special projects.
Penn State would like to raise enough funding to endow the assistance program to ensure that it keeps paying out from investments each year, he said.
"That's what we need to make this an ongoing program," Bezilla said.
"It needs a lot more support," he added.
Bishoff spent time as a student at Penn State but ultimately graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, Snyder said.
