Middle Georgia State receives $75K grant to support students facing homelessness
The Embark Georgia grant will fund two programs offering housing, financial support, coaching and mentorship.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Middle Georgia State University has received a $75,000 Embark Georgia Campus Capacity grant to expand support for students who have experienced foster care or homelessness.
The grant will help the university develop two programs through its Office of Student Care: Beacon Scholars and Luminary Scholars. Both programs are designed to help students stay in college, access resources and make progress toward graduation.
For Middle Georgia State student Latoya Henley, finding support through the university’s Office of Student Care made a difference while she was experiencing housing insecurity.
“I was in such an isolated, dark place that coming to Middle Georgia seemed to be the only light that I had in this world,” Henley said.
Elaine Martin, assistant director of Student Care at MGA, said working with students experiencing homelessness helped her recognize the need for additional resources.
“How can we expect a student to be focusing on turning in assignments when they’re figuring out, how am I gonna take a shower today?” Martin said. “We have to find a way to get them their basic needs, to have a stable living environment, so they can focus on their education.”
The Beacon Scholars program will initially serve about five students who have experienced foster care or homelessness. Participants will receive housing and meal plans, success coaching, monthly meetings, financial literacy training and connections to academic and career resources.
Students also will work toward individual financial goals and have opportunities to earn incentives for reaching program milestones.
The second program, Luminary Scholars, will focus on leadership and career readiness. Participants will include students who have completed the Beacon Scholars program, as well as students who have experienced foster care or homelessness and demonstrated academic success.
Luminary Scholars will receive a leadership stipend for providing peer mentorship and guidance to Beacon Scholars.
Martin said peer mentorship is an important part of the programs because students can connect with others who understand their experiences.
“I think the peer mentorship is one of the biggest pieces I’m excited about, because I have heard from a lot of students how isolated they feel and that nobody else kind of understands what they’re going through,” Martin said.
Henley is studying elementary and special education and plans to graduate in May 2028. She hopes other students facing similar circumstances will seek out available resources.
“Don’t think that anything is impossible, because I never, the person that I am today, in the place that I am at right now, I never saw myself as that,” Henley said.
MGA plans to launch both programs in spring 2027. Students interested in learning more can contact the Office of Student Care at studentcare@mga.edu.