Impact/Story

Making College Possible by Keeping Students Housed

Since September 2025, TYME Project Foundation has been preventing housing instability for community college students across California. We teach students the financial skills they need to manage financial aid refunds and stay housed throughout the semester.

In just our first 5 months, we've built momentum:

  • Students from 7 different colleges are already benefiting from our workshops
  • 100% of partner organizations have requested continued or expanded programming
  • Colleges are inviting us to scale based on documented student outcomes

THE CHALLENGE

Community college students receive financial aid refunds in lump sums 2-3 times per semester, but rent is due monthly. Without experience managing large sums of money, students exhaust their refunds by mid-semester—leaving them unable to pay rent when it's due.

The result? Housing instability that forces students to drop classes, move into unsafe situations, or leave college entirely.

Emergency aid programs provide help after students face eviction notices. We prevent the crisis before it happens.

OUR SOLUTION

TYME provides hands-on financial literacy workshops designed specifically for community college students managing financial aid refunds.

Our three-pillar curriculum teaches:

  • Budgeting 101: Managing irregular income and lump-sum disbursements
  • Housing Stability: Allocating refunds across monthly rent cycles throughout the semester
  • Financial Aid Confidence: Understanding disbursement timelines and planning for semester gaps

We don't just teach theory. Students leave with actionable plans for managing their specific financial aid refund across their specific rent obligations.

WHERE WE WORK

 

San Diego Wesley House Student Residence

Launched December 2025 | Serving Students from 6 Colleges

Through our partnership with Wesley House, we're reaching students across the San Diego community college system, including:

  • San Diego State University
  • Mesa College
  • UC San Diego
  • Southwestern College
  • Palomar College
  • National University

Partner validation: Wesley House staff describe TYME as "an unusual gem" and have committed to quarterly workshops throughout 2026.

WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING

"I learned so many things about how to organize my money. How to prioritize some expenses instead of wasting all of it at once."
— Estefania V., San Diego State University

"I decided to be a bit more tight with my budget, and decided to buy the trolley semester pass instead of driving everyday."
— Mário N., San Diego State University

"This workshop provided me with many viable ideas on how to create income through side hustle jobs."
— Christian G., San Diego State University

DOCUMENTED OUTCOMES

What students do differently after our workshops:

Students consistently report implementing concrete behavioral changes:

  • ✓ Setting aside funds for future rent payments before other expenses
  • ✓ Canceling unnecessary subscriptions and reducing spending
  • ✓ Creating monthly budgets aligned with financial aid timing
  • ✓ Starting side income or applying for campus jobs
  • ✓ Changing transportation habits to save money
  • ✓ Planning ahead for gaps between semesters

What partners are seeing:

College staff report students who attend TYME workshops demonstrate increased financial confidence and proactive planning—leading to institutional requests for expanded programming.

WHAT PARTNERS ARE SAYING

"TYME is an unusual gem as a financial educator for post-secondary students. Frida Tillman flies down to see us on a quarterly basis; I have never come across someone so dedicated to her work... I am grateful to have someone who can take the baton for me with my clients and give them that extra support as they become housing-stable."
— Housing Navigator, San Diego Wesley House

"Wesley House Student Residence has had the pleasure of working with TYME in support of financially educating our on-site residents and Housing Navigation clients... Her availability for both virtual and in-person workshops demonstrates her ability to meet our students' needs."
— Mattison Walker, Housing and Supportive Services Manager, SD Wesley House

PROGRAM MOMENTUM

Launch to Expansion in 5 Months

Since launching in September 2025, we've achieved:

7 Colleges Represented
2 Community College Partnerships
7 Departments Requesting Expansion
100% Partner Satisfaction & Continued Programming Requests
Q1 2026 Invited to Scale Based on Pilot Success