For freshman Carissa Bixler, the best Christmas gift didn’t come wrapped in bows under the tree, but in the form of just a few words of hope.

Bixler is one of 158 students cleared to receive emergency financial aid relief from Biola, enabling her and others to return this semester. At an information session in December, Bixler was told she was eligible to receive much-needed funds to continue her education at Biola this spring – a feat otherwise unthinkable.

The fund was organized by the Student Economic Crisis Response Council, a group commissioned by President Corey. The group consists of eight staff members from around the university.

Corey asked the group to devise strategies for students who would be otherwise unable to return to Biola this spring due to the floundering economy’s toll on their family resources, said Carrie Stockton, assistant director of undergrad admissions.

Bixler said her parents, missionaries to Indonesia, survive off the support of churches. The recession, however, has taken its toll, leaving members unable to give as much as they could before, Bixler added. Her family has lost about $2,000 in support since fall.

After barely “scraping by” last semester, Bixler wondered how her family could possibly afford Biola this spring with even less finances on hand. Bixler, a Bible major and psychology minor, felt guilty at times for attending a school like Biola, especially when her three older siblings chose less expensive institutions. The 18-year-old was convinced, however, that God wanted her here.

“I was so comforted when I realized I was walking in God’s will, doing what He wants me to do. Then the next day I got my bill. I still had a large amount to pay. It might not be large to a lot of other people, but in our financial situation, it was a lot of money. I was hit with a whirlwind of emotion, the shock of it all.”

During times of uncertainty, Bixler said the story of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 encouraged her. God reassured her that if He could provide for 5,000, he could provide for her needs, too.

That’s where the relief fund intervened, covering about half the money her family lost in support, she said. Bixler, baffled by the generosity of the Biola community in meeting students’ needs, said the scholarship money was a tremendous encouragement.

“It’s not gone unnoticed by [students who received aid], and it’s not gone unnoticed by God,” she said.

The Student Economic Crisis Response Council’s initial goal was to focus on short term solutions for students whose recently shattered financial circumstances made Biola no longer affordable, Stockton said. International students affected by fluctuating exchange rates received some priority aid.

Amassing resources from staff, faculty, and the community, donors raised about $50,000, Stockton said. Biola contributed around $80,000 in institutional funds, enabling about 50 U.S. students and 100 international students to return to school this spring.
“I think for me it was just really exciting to see the Biola community rise up to help,” Stockton said.

Stockton realized students’ financial slump is far from fixed and admitted resources are limited. Devising long-term solutions will be the group’s project this semester, as the dedicated members are now in the “brainstorming phase,” Stockton said.

“We really want to know what the heartbeat of the students is,” Stockton said.

For now, the scholarship fund cheers the hearts of students like Carissa Bixler, who said she can’t imagine herself anywhere other than Biola. Her education here has gone beyond “book knowledge,” infiltrating every area of her life, she said.

“Biola’s just like the perfect fit … If God wants you here, He will provide all the means. He owns the whole world. It’s not a problem at all to snag a few more bucks in there for you.”