Scholarship Helps Homeless Student Stay in College

God is faithful. That is the testimony of Kelly Roe, a 2016 Making THE Difference (MTD) Scholarship recipient and theater major at Evangel University (Springfield, Missouri).

The MTD Scholarship is awarded annually to a select number of students chosen by the 17 Assemblies of God colleges and universities. It is sponsored and funded by AGTrust, in partnership with the Alliance for AG Higher Education. According to AG college administrators, even a smaller scholarship can often make the difference whether or not a student enrolls or continues their studies.

The opportunity to attend Evangel University was a God moment for Roe. “I entered EU as a freshman and fell in love with the school,” Roe says. “Evangel's sense of community is unlike one I've ever seen. I dove right in and became involved with theater plays, student film and concert choir. I am learning academia and being stretched spiritually; this school means the world to me.”

However, Roe’s testimony is not limited simply to God’s faithfulness in making a way for her to pay her school bills. She has overcome many obstacles in her life — a broken home, the death of her mother, and the physical and emotional abuse she experienced while at home, which led to her present homelessness. These examples simply glaze the surface of the depth of God’s intervention in Roe’s life.

During Roe’s sophomore year, her mother lost her battle with cancer. But Roe remained determined to return to school to focus on the calling God had placed on her life to become a teacher.

The following year, as funds became increasingly tight, Roe’s friends in her hometown encouraged her to talk to the financial aid department at Evangel and share her story. Because of this she received a dependency override and became eligible for grants. The Making THE Difference Scholarship was one of those unexpected blessings.

“If it had not been for scholarships, there would have been no way for me to return to school,” Roe says. “If it weren't for AGTrust donors, I'd never be able to finish my degree, and I am eternally grateful.” 

Roe cites Psalm 68:5-6 as verses that solidify God’s role in her life: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing . . . . ” (NIV)

She too has that same heart for students like herself, who need strong adult influences in their lives. “Life can be messy, especially for adolescents,” Roe says. “As a teacher, I hope I can provide a bit of a haven for students and teach them how to play again.

“I never knew how significant Evangel would be to my testimony. I'm still homeless, but when I'm at school, I have food, shelter, and stability. I'm so thankful for what God has provided for me at Evangel, and I can't afford to lose it. Know that your donations are going toward a wonderful cause — helping students in need finish college and fulfill God’s calling.”

AGTrust awarded $124,250 in Making THE Difference Scholarships to 132 students in fall 2016. To see the complete list of recipients or to learn more about AGTrust scholarship/grant deadlines and applications, click here.

Amber Weigand-Buckley