THIBODAUX, La. — The Contractors Educational Trust Fund has donated $50,000 to Nicholls State University to pay for need-based scholarships in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
As designated by the gift, the money will go to students who are struggling to pay tuition, room and board.
“We knew that Nicholls and its students were hurting after Hurricane Ida and that we could help,” said Vic Weston, CETF board member. “Nicholls has been a wonderful partner in the past, and by helping these students out who need it the most, we are betting on Louisiana and Nicholls State University to help the Bayou Region recover.”
Hurricane Ida, which made landfall on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, brought devastating winds and storm surge to the Bayou Region. An estimated 25 percent of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish’s homes were destroyed or are uninhabitable.
Approximately two-thirds of the Nicholls community report that their homes were damaged by Hurricane Ida, with one-in-five students saying their homes were destroyed or uninhabitable. Additionally, more than half of students say they or their families lost access to reliable income from the storm, and another 16 percent reported that their car was damaged.
“Talking to our students and hearing them detail the damage to their homes is heartbreaking. This donation from the Contractors Educational Trust Fund is going to put a lot of minds at ease,” said Dr. Jay Clune, Nicholls president.
The CETF is no stranger to supporting Nicholls. They established three professorships at the university in the 90s and early 00s, and are now regular supporters of Nicholls Geomatics.