Last Mile Education Fund

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Investing in the next generation of technology talent. Learn more, apply for funding, or donate at LastMile-ed.org

11/05/2026

One year ago, the Semiconductor Pathways Fund launched at SEMICON. Here’s what Year One looks like:

538 students funded
190 colleges and universities reached
$992,678 awarded directly to students
2 in 3 of awardees are first-generation college students
One third are women

Behind every number is a student who has spent years preparing for a career in semiconductors and is close to turning that preparation into a degree. SPF invests at that moment.

Thank you to Applied Materials, Cadence, KLA Foundation, Lam Research, AMD Foundation, and Intel for growing this talent pool together.

Read the Year One story: http://www.lastmile-ed.org/last-mile-blog/spf-year-one-welcomes-intel

11/04/2026

Welcome to the Semiconductor Pathways Fund, Intel!

Intel joins Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA Foundation, AMD Foundation, and Cadence in a shared commitment to building the semiconductor workforce: they're helping students finish their degrees and step into careers that power American innovation.

Together, this coalition has committed nearly $3 million to making degree completion part of the industry's workforce strategy. With Intel on board, more students will cross the finish line, and more graduates will have a reason to choose the semiconductors industry.

Thank you, Intel, for investing in the people who will build the future.

10/30/2026

In the horror movies, the final girl wins.

In real life, we just care if you make it to finals.

Happy Halloween from Last Mile Education Fund! 👻🎃

Learn more about how to get emergency funding to complete your STEM degree at lastmile-ed.org.

10/28/2026

Did you receive our survey, Last Mile awardees? This is your last call!

Our check-in survey closes Tuesday, November 3, and we want to hear from every one of you. Whether you’re still in school, just graduated, or chose a different path, your answers help us understand what students really need so we can keep supporting more students like you.

🎓 Graduating this term? We have a graduation gift with your name on it, but we can only send it if you tell us you graduated and provide your mailing address.

📧 Check your email for your personal survey link. It takes about 7 minutes.

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

10/26/2026

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and the #1 major among Last Mile students is cybersecurity. 🔐

Last Mile is helping build America’s cybersecurity talent pipeline by making sure students in high-demand fields can finish their degrees and launch their careers.

These are just a few of the Last Mile awardees on the frontline:
🛡️ Brenda L., Security Program Manager at Microsoft
💻 Bisade F., Cybersecurity Intern at AIG
🎓 Scott J., Adjunct Instructor of Cybersecurity at Des Moines Area Community College

Sometimes a few hundred dollars at the right moment keeps a future defender on track.
Learn more at lastmile-ed.org.

10/15/2026

Since 2020, Last Mile Education Fund has invested $20 million in students on the final stretch of their degrees and certificates in STEM, tech, and innovation-related fields.

Every one of those dollars went toward the same goal: getting students across the finish line. Why? Because the innovation economy can't run without them.

Engineers, technologists, scientists, and skilled tradespeople can’t fill the roles our future depends on if a tuition balance, a car repair, or a missed rent payment stops them one semester short.

Enrollment opens the door, but completion is what builds the workforce.

When a student finishes their program, the return doesn’t end with them and their families. It shows up in their community, less spent on the social safety net, future investments in philanthropy, and every industry counting on new talent to keep moving forward.

$20M invested. Thousands of futures on track. We can’t afford to lose a single one.

Help us keep going: lastmile-ed.org/donate

10/14/2026

📬 The October Mile Post is here!

In our latest newsletter:
💰 $20 million invested by Last Mile in degree completion
🔍 Ruthe Farmer on the hidden talent employers are missing
💪 Darrinnia H.’s story of staying in school as a working mom
⚡ A preview of the Semiconductor Pathways Fund’s Year One impact
🛡️ Celebrating Collin College’s Microsoft Cybersecurity scholars
🎓 Student Spotlight: Rayyan C., University of Washington
⭐ Community Champion: Dr. Nancy Woods, DMACC

Read at our link below!

10/14/2026

In July, Darrinnia H. and her husband were both laid off from the same job.

Both were full-time Process Technology students headed back to school. With kids and bills on top of tuition, Darrinnia was ready to sit out the semester and go back to work full-time to keep their household afloat.

A $3,400 Last Mile award meant she didn’t have to.

Today Darrinnia is still enrolled as a full-time student, holds a 3.4 GPA, is a member of a national honor society, and is cheering her husband on toward graduation, all while showing up for her children and supporting her grandmother through a cancer diagnosis.

Staying on the path to graduation will make a world of difference for her family. In Darinnia’s words: “Sometimes hardworking people can do everything they know to do and still need someone to help them across a difficult stretch. Your generosity helped me across mine.”

Read Darrinnia’s Last Mile story in our latest blog: https://www.lastmile-ed.org/last-mile-blog/darrinnias-story

10/13/2026

One year ago at SEMICON, an industry coalition came together around a shared commitment: investing in the engineers and technicians who will power the future of semiconductors.

Thank you to our founding partners Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA Foundation, AMD, and Cadence for believing in this vision from day one.

We can't wait to share what we've built together. The Semiconductor Pathways Fund's Year One story is coming soon.

10/11/2026

Today we celebrate every girl who dreams of exploring space, running experiments, writing code, or building something the world hasn’t seen yet.

Curiosity starts early. Turning it into a career takes access to education, support along the way, and the chance to finish what you started. Too many talented young women leave STEM not because they lack ability, but because financial barriers get in the way close to the finish line.

At Last Mile Education Fund, we’re working to make sure that when today’s young women and girls want to become tomorrow’s engineers, scientists, and innovators, nothing stands between them and their degree.

Here’s to the girls who ask “why?” and the education that helps them find the answer. 💙

LastMile

Address

2770 Arapahoe Road, Ste 132/513
Lafayette, CO
80026

Website

http://www.lastmile-ed.org/

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