Challenge
In October 2019, 10 tornadoes struck the Dallas Area, destroying homes, wrecking buildings, and upending lives. The natural disaster caused more than $2 billion in damage, making it the most expensive tornado in Texas history.
Fortunately, just days after the twisters touched down, Dallas College launched a partnership with Beam. Within the first hour, more than 100 students filed applications to receive emergency grants. Over the course of the following weeks, nearly one thousand of Dallas College’s students, including the many living in poverty, were able to use Beam to apply for and receive emergency funds in less than 48 hours.
Distributing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the midst of a natural disaster proved that Beam was prepared to help schools in the wake of COVID-19. However, as the federal government prepared to support institutions like Dallas College, a new challenge emerged: according to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, higher education institutions couldn’t use any of the $6.28 billion allocated for emergency student aid to assist students not eligible for Title IV, including undocumented, international, and DACA students. Therefore, like other colleges and universities across the country, Dallas College needed an intervention that would allow it to both remain compliant with federal guidelines and fund every student needing emergency aid.
Beam's Solution
Beam offers a new way for college students to seek emergency financial support through a mobile app. The goal of emergency aid programs—a tool that colleges, community programs, and the federal government have all reached for to work against growing inequality during a pandemic and recession—is to meet financial needs where and when they arise. By helping to pay for a car repair or a new laptop, emergency grants are intended to head off the financial struggles that can slow or stop students’ progress.
Beam uses an algorithm to quickly sort through student applications and assess where aid dollars will have the greatest impact on college completion. Students provide some information about their financial situation and their educational goals. In a few minutes the app calculates a score. Higher scores, signaling higher need, are prioritized for grants. The app verifies some information with the college and arranges to deposit cash in eligible students’ accounts immediately.
Results
Since April 2020, Dallas College has processed over 9,000 student aid applications and distributed more than $5 million in CARES Act funds to its students. Hundreds of thousands more have gone to students not eligible for federal emergency aid money. “I don’t know how we could have done that [without Beam],” said Pyeper Wilkins, vice chancellor of workforce and advancement at Dallas College. “Especially in a pandemic when everybody is remote.” In fact, by partnering with Beam, Dallas College was able to increase overall retention, despite the immense challenges and administrative hurdles created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Total number of applicants since April 2021: 9,000+
Average time to receive a decision: 24 hours
Average time to complete application: 7 minutes
Dallas College students who received emergency aid via Beam were twice as likely to graduate.
