University of Wyoming students will receive more than half a million dollars as the result of Pokes Make the Difference, a private support campaign established to help UW students facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The entire $555,448 raised will go into a student emergency fund, providing assistance for UW students with emergency medical expenses, food insecurity, and loss of housing, utilities, rent, essential services and more.

“These funds from the student emergency fund will be going toward keeping my household stable and fed for the time being,” said Adrian Seiloff, a UW sophomore and recipient of funding. “I cannot express the fear and anxiety we have lived in due to the COVID-19 crisis, and this funding from the University of Wyoming has lifted a weight off my shoulders, which I wasn’t certain I could carry on my own.”

UW Acting President Neil Theobald announced the creation of the campaign April 1, urging members of the UW community to step up to support students. In just 15 days, the campaign raised $250,000, which secured an added $250,000 in matching funds provided by the leadership of the UW Foundation Board of Directors. To incentivize additional gifts, the UW President’s Office provided matching funds that doubled all gifts over the initial $250,000.

“The Pokes Make the Difference campaign is the epitome of the culture we have established here at the University of Wyoming,” Theobald said. “It has been deeply gratifying to see so many of you respond to the call to help our students in need. The generosity of our supporters, our UW alums and the leadership of the UW Foundation has provided relief of economic hardship for many UW students.”

Donors included alumni, the UW extended community and even other students. Overall, 464 gifts were received when the campaign ended April 30.

The UW Dean of Students Office received 914 applications from students seeking financial support through the fund. To qualify for funding, students must be currently enrolled as degree-seeking, full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate students at UW and must be experiencing unexpected financial hardship resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. Students will receive an award up to $1,000, with funds disbursed based on awarding criteria.

Creation of the student emergency fund was a collaborative effort on behalf of several university units, including the Associated Students of UW (ASUW).