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January 12, 2022

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College students in North Texas to receive financial support for STEM degrees

Last Mile Education Fund announced today the North Texas Biotech Workforce Fund, a $100,000 regional fund in support of students pursuing biotech and related STEM degrees in 26 designated North Texas counties. Through this first-of-its-kind fund, Last Mile Education Fund is increasing access to biotech careers for low-income North Texas students who can rapidly join the burgeoning biotech workforce.

The Last Mile Education Fund invests in degree attainment for striving, low-income students in high-demand STEM disciplines. Oftentimes, students facing adverse financial conditions are forced to slow down or even abandon their pursuit of a college degree after years of hard work and determination, which harms students, their families, and their communities. Last Mile identifies students close to the finish line in their chosen field and provides just-in-time support for financial challenges beyond their control.

Qualified students can access the fund on a rolling basis to support their educational progress and overcome unexpected financial obstacles. Each student is considered on a case-by-case basis and will receive customized funding to facilitate their success.

“We know that students are balancing many priorities in pursuing a biotech career, which is why Last Mile takes an abundance approach to investing in students,” said Ruthe Farmer, founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund. “Our funds can be used to cover a broad array of costs from a car repair to food to family expenses - anything that is a barrier to their success.”


Students eligible to apply must meet the following criteria:

• Reside in the United States
  
• Attending an eligible two- or four-year institution in North Texas
  
• In pursuit of a career in biotech or related STEM field
  
• Able to demonstrate financial need

Beginning Jan. 11, 2022, students in need can apply for the fund at www.lastmile-ed.org/ntxbiotech.

This will be the first geographically focused fund offered by Last Mile and is initially supported by a grant from Lyda Hill Philanthropies. The fund will focus on North Texas students in the biotech and STEM sectors who are falling short of their goal because of gaps in financial support.

“With the growing life science community ecosystem in North Texas, including the recently announced Biotech+ Hub at Pegasus Park, a 23-acre office park developed to bolster local biotech innovation, our area needs more STEM and biotech graduates to enter life science careers,” said Tom Luce, CEO of Biotech Initiatives at Lyda Hill Philanthropies. “This investment will augment the North Texas region’s reputation for scientific and medical innovation by helping to accelerate the availability of a qualified workforce for the new life science companies burgeoning in our region.”

Together, Last Mile Education Fund and its supporters are helping to develop a diverse group of future biotech and STEM employees who may one day solve the most complex scientific problems. Anyone interested in contributing to the North Texas Biotech Workforce Fund can visit www.lastmile-ed.org/ntxbiotech to learn more.

About Last Mile Education Fund
Last Mile Education Fund offers a disruptive approach to both social inequity and increasing diversity in tech and engineering fields by addressing critical gaps in financial support for low-income underrepresented students within reach of a degree. Unlike traditional scholarships, Last Mile takes a broad investment approach, identifying students committed to technology and engineering fields, providing agile, just-in-time support for challenges they face beyond their control, and incubating them to be the next generation of innovators. Last Mile Education Fund is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Digital Harbor Foundation. For additional information, visit LastMile-ed.org and follow us on Twitter.