The Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation has given $30,000 to Wayne State University’s HIGH (Helping Individuals Go Higher) Program to help provide short-term support to Wayne State students experiencing homelessness or precarious housing situations.

“We are committed to supporting those who are striving to make their lives better,” said Denise Jacob RN, PhD (‘82 MSN Wayne State), president and co-founder of the foundation.  “Relatively small financial challenges can derail the college career for low-income students and this program can make the difference that keeps that student on track for graduation.”

Wayne State’s First Lady Jacqueline Wilson founded the HIGH Program in 2013 when she was astonished to learn about a graduate student living out of her car. Reports indicate student homelessness is a nationwide issue, and Wilson’s program offers a strategic response to this issue at Wayne State.

Students in the HIGH Program receive short-term, emergency assistance with the goal of long-term stability and degree completion. Since its inception, the HIGH program has offered assistance to more than 130 students with direct support or referral to alternative funding sources.

“We believe Wayne State is a place where every student can thrive, where something like housing insecurity should not hold back a student from success,” said Mrs. Wilson. “I am grateful to the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation for their support of this initiative.”

More information about Wayne State’s HIGH Program can be found at highprogram.wayne.edu.

About the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation

Jamie and Denise Jacob, through their foundation, support opportunities for high-quality education, enrichment and services to help individuals lead economically and emotionally secure lives. 

About the HIGH Program

The HIGH Program was founded in 2013 to address student homelessness at Wayne State University. The vision of the HIGH Program is a university community where no student must choose between higher education and survival. The mission of the program is to support students who struggle to balance their Wayne State University studies with meeting life’s most basic needs of food, shelter and childcare.