Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund

The Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund serves to unite the Cowboy Family by providing assistance to students experiencing dire financial need who have exhausted all other resources.


Areas of Impact

When you support the Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund, you help shape the future for Oklahoma State University. By contributing to the fund(s) below, you make our future brighter orange!

Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund

34-66750 - This fund benefits programs through Student Affairs.


Where is the need?

The need for emergency student funding has never been greater because of the way COVID-19 is impacting everyone. With shelter-at-home orders issued across the country, the crisis is affecting the employment of students and their families, limiting their ability to pay for tuition, food, shelter and countless other needs. Several students have requested assistance paying for internet services that are now necessary to attend classes.

Where does your gift go?

The Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund provides direct support to students in need and exists to make sure students never feel like dropping out is their only option. Gifts committed to Cowboy Strong are used by the office of Student Affairs under the supervision of the Vice President for Student Affairs to keep OSU students in school. Grants are made to provide housing, food, transportation, tuition — any of the basics these students need to ensure they do not have to drop out and can continue their education.

Cowboy Strong typically assists over 40 students per year with an average of $40,000 in aid being distributed each school year. During the month of March 2020, more than 100 requests came through the Student Affairs office. The need for this type of assistance at OSU will only grow as COVID-19 continues to affect the country and world.

“The Cowboy Strong fund is an essential safety net for students and their families as emergency support is more critical than ever during this unprecedented time of uncertainty and need. Recipients are grateful not only for the financial assistance but for the opportunity this assistance creates for students to continue living their dream of attending OSU.”
Dr. Doug Hallenbeck, Vice President of Student Affairs, Oklahoma State University Center

For more information on how to support the Cowboy Strong Student Emergency Fund, contact Annie Wells.