Near and Far Aid helps students stay close, go far

The Fairfield County-based Near and Far Aid Association (NFAA), which provides financial support to Housatonic Community College (HCC) students, has donated $12,000 to the Housatonic Community College Foundation to help it meet increased student requests for scholarships to continue and complete their education.    

HCC President Paul Broadie II said, “Here, our focus is on students and providing them with educational experiences that positively transform their lives. This continued support helps students get the financial help they need to accomplish that goal.” Since 2000, HCC has received nearly $119,000 in grants from NFAA, an all-volunteer philanthropy.

NFAA typically funds agencies in Fairfield County that provide life”™s most basic necessities as well as programs with long-term potential to break the cycle of poverty. Nearly 50 percent of HCC students live in Bridgeport and many head single-parent households defined as low-to-moderate income by federal guidelines. Sixty-one percent are women and 69 percent of the students are enrolled on a part-time basis. A slogan adopted by the college is, “Stay Close. Go Far.”