Our Mission
The Last Mile Education Fund closes critical gaps in financial and career support for financially vulnerable college students in the “last mile” to graduation in high-demand STEM fields, addressing both economic mobility and talent crisis in tech and tech-enabled industries.
More about our mission
Our Founders
Paying It Forward
Ruthe Farmer, Rian Ferria (Walker), and Sarah Lee share a common passion for equity, an abundance approach to investing in young people, and hope for a world designed by all of us.
Our Inspiration
Rian (Walker) Ferria was never going to show up on the radar of a traditional scholarship program, living an itinerant lifestyle in Mississippi and struggling to overcome financial barriers to graduation. But today, as an Information Security Consultant at a fortune-500 company and the proud owner of her first home, Rian is eager to give back to students like her. Rian is both the inspiration for this fund and a co-founder.
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Current Funding Opportunities
Last Mile Education Fund collaborates with investors and partners to fill critical financial gaps for students pursuing tech and engineering degrees. Awards are made available on a first-come, first-served basis, and are subject to review by the Last Mile Education Fund and our investment partners.
Get Involved
The Last Mile Education Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. We welcome contributions to the fund, large and small. We also welcome funding collaborations to support specific communities of students. Contact us to learn more.
Refer a student
Do you know a striving student that we could help? Send them our way.
Contribute
We accept donations online with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal and Venmo.