OFFICIAL SUPPORT OF FAST FUND PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, FAST (Faculty and Students Together) Funds have helped students succeed by providing emergency grants to help them pay for rent, utilities, books, tuition, technology, medical bills, car payments, food and gas so they can stay in school and graduate; and

WHEREAS, FAST Funds are faculty-run emergency aid programs with proven results; and

WHEREAS, most college-run emergency-aid programs deduct the value of the aid payment from the student’s financial aid package; and

WHEREAS, establishing faculty-run emergency programs is one way of involving members and retirees in ongoing union activity; and

WHEREAS, nearly 3 in 5 college students report experiencing basic needs insecurity; and

WHEREAS, the cost of college today is uniformly underestimated by institutions, while incomes remain stagnant, income inequality persists, and social safety nets are strained; and

WHEREAS, the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on college students; and

WHEREAS, costs for rent, child care, gas, food and utilities continue to skyrocket throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has previously supported the implementation of new FAST Funds with a pilot $100,000 grant program in 2021:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will fully and formally support the establishment of more FAST Funds at higher education institutions throughout the country and that the AFT will actively help facilitate the development and expansion of these faculty-run emergency-aid programs.

(July 15, 2022)