# Last Mile Education Fund > Completion infrastructure for America’s innovation workforce. When students in computing, engineering, tech or skilled trades hit a financial wall months from graduating, Last Mile Education Fund closes the gap with fast, flexible awards. Key facts: - Since 2020, Last Mile has supported over 15,000 aspiring technologists with timely, flexible awards averaging under $3,000. - Last Mile has invested $20 million in students close to graduation at more than 1,200 institutions, with an 80% graduation rate among awardees. - Students apply once, through one common application, for all available Last Mile funding. Applications and questions go through the Caravan student portal. - Last Mile calls its student funding “awards” or “gap support.” Awards are not a substitute for financial aid, student loans or employment income. ## About - [Our Mission: Closing the Gap to a Degree](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/mission): Last Mile closes critical gaps in funding and career support so persistence becomes a degree, and degrees become economic mobility. Read our mission and vision. - [What Is Completion Infrastructure?](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/completion-infrastructure): Learn how completion infrastructure helps students overcome financial setbacks and protects investments in education and workforce training. - [Our Team: Meet the People Behind Last Mile Education Fund](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/last-mile-team): Meet the Last Mile team: a small but mighty group of innovators, many of whom share the lived experiences of the students we serve and act with urgency. - [Our Board of Directors](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/last-mile-board): Meet the Last Mile Board of Directors, leaders with deep governance experience and diverse perspectives from across education, industry and philanthropy. - [Our Champions Board](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/lastmilechampions): Meet the Last Mile Champions Board, a coalition of tech and community leaders who champion our mission, open doors for partnerships and expand our impact. - [Our Donors and Partners](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/our-donors-partners): Meet the donors and partners investing in talent, innovation and opportunity, and helping Last Mile students complete their degrees and launch careers. ## For students - [Student Funding Opportunities](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/student-funding-ops): Facing a financial barrier in your final semesters? Last Mile offers fast, flexible awards to help you go the rest of the way to graduation. See what we fund. - [Apply for Completion Funding](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/apply): Close to graduating and facing a financial setback? Apply for a Last Mile award and get fast, flexible gap support to stay on track and finish strong. - [Student FAQs: Eligibility & More](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/student-faq): Straightforward answers about who Last Mile is, how our award funding works, who is eligible and what to expect as you apply. Got questions? Start here. ## Research and impact - [Impact Data: Student Outcomes](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/impactdata): Explore Last Mile data on student persistence, degree completion and economic mobility, and learn how financial support helps students move forward. - [Impact Reports & Research](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/reports): Through rigorous analysis, transparent reporting and longitudinal research, Last Mile reports track how students persist, graduate and launch meaningful careers. - [Social Return on Investment](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/sroi): Transforming lives through college completion: see Last Mile’s social return on investment, explained, and why these students are talent too valuable to lose. - [Research, Data & Policy](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/research): Last Mile was built with data at its core. Explore research insights, policy engagement and data on helping financially vulnerable students reach graduation. - [2025 Annual Impact Report](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/2025impactreport): Explore Last Mile Education Fund’s 2025 impact, including thousands of students supported, an 80% graduation rate, nationwide reach, and growing workforce partnerships. - [2020–2024 Five-Year Impact Report](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/2020-2024impactreport): Last Mile’s five-year impact report shows how small, timely awards keep financially vulnerable students on track to graduate, and why the model is ready to scale. - [Graduation & Employment Report 2020-2024](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/grad-employment-2020-2024): Five years of data on 4,296 Last Mile awardees show the finish line is financial. Read six findings on what drives degree completion and graduate employment. - [Social ROI Report: A 45× Return](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/sroi-report): Last Mile invests on average under $3,000 to keep a near-graduation student on track. See how targeted completion awards produce an estimated 45× social return. ## Partner with Last Mile - [Invest in Untapped Tech Talent](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/donors): Close the gap for the largest pool of untapped tech innovators in the US. See how Last Mile’s catalytic, student-centered funding turns persistence into degrees. - [Faculty & Institutional Partners](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/faculty-institutions): Fast, flexible support to keep your students on track to graduation. See how Last Mile partners with faculty and campus leaders to help near-graduates finish. - [Ecosystem Allies: Partner With Last Mile Education Fund](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/ecosystem-allies): Regional, sector and research collaborations that deliver completion and hiring results. See how ecosystem allies partner with Last Mile to drive lasting change. - [Employer Talent Partnerships](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/employer-partners): Invest locally and hire resilient, day-one-ready tech and engineering talent. Explore Last Mile partnership models that help students graduate and join your team. - [Outreach Toolkits for Partners](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/toolkits): Everything you need to champion Last Mile. Our toolkits make it easy for partners, funders and champions to spread the word about Last Mile and its funds. ## Give - [Donate to Help Students Graduate](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/donate): Your gift helps students near graduation overcome the financial gaps that stand between them and their degrees. Give to Last Mile Education Fund your way. - [Donor-Advised Fund Giving](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/daf): Recommend a gift from your donor-advised fund to Last Mile and help innovation workforce students graduate. Find the details your DAF provider needs to give. - [Employer Matching Gifts](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/donation-match): Find out whether your employer will match your donation to Last Mile. Explore matching gift programs and learn how to submit a request to support students. - [Payroll Giving: Support Students](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/payrollgiving): Support students through automatic paycheck donations to Last Mile. Find your employer’s payroll giving program and explore matching gift opportunities. - [The Forever Fund: Alumni Giving](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/forever-fund): Join fellow Last Mile alumni in giving back. Your gift to the Forever Fund builds a lasting safety net for the next generation of innovation workforce graduates. - [Volunteering & Employer Support](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/volunteering): Share your time and skills with Last Mile to support students. Explore employer volunteer programs and paid volunteer time off to make your contribution go further. ## Stories and news - [Blog: Stories, Research & Perspectives](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/read): Student voices, research and perspectives on what it takes to finish college, unlock economic mobility and build the innovation workforce. Read the Last Mile blog. - [Stories in Motion: Videos](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/video): Watch powerful videos spotlighting America’s innovation workforce, including student stories and Ruthe Farmer’s TEDx Miami talk on the future of talent. - [Voices From the Last Mile Podcast](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/podcast): Honest dialogues driving access, graduation and America’s innovation workforce. Listen to The Abundance Imperative, hosted by Last Mile CEO Ruthe Farmer. - [Newsroom: Press & Media](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/newsroom): Read the latest Last Mile Education Fund press releases, media coverage and announcements on student graduation and innovation workforce impact. ## Contact - [Contact Us](https://www.lastmile-ed.org/contact): Contact Last Mile Education Fund with questions about our work, partnerships or ways to support students. Tell us what brings you here and we’ll be in touch.