For three months, Ryan Lindley, a homeless student recently featured in The Herald, was told that his financial aid would be coming any day; at the end of fall quarter it did arrive, and Lindley's situation is stabilizing.

Lindley lives in a van, has no source of income and no computer, but he is a man making up for lost time. Now in his second quarter at EvCC and working toward a computer aided design degree, he has not hesitated to sign up for the maximum number of classes that he can fit into his schedule, seven altogether, totaling 29 credits.

His decision to sacrifice the comfort of a permanent home and security of a paycheck is deeply rooted.

For several years Lindley says, he was hindered by an inability to receive financial aid, partly because his mother did not file taxes. Once Lindley was able to be considered for aid independently, he applied, and recalls being told that "worst case scenario, it would arrive by the first week" of the quarter.

Like many others, Lindley's aid was significantly delayed, and he dealt with not being able to afford textbooks, having his van break down, and being ill.

Today, however, Lindley's situation seems to be stabilizing: after the transmission on his last van gave out recently, he was able to replace it with one in better condition after receiving federal financial aid plus a $3,500 opportunity grant for students enrolled in high-demand programs. This quarter's aid package has already arrived and Lindley says though not much is left over after spending about $3,000 on tuition and books, that he is confident he can make it to the end of the quarter.

Additionally, Sharon Johnson, annual giving coordinator, confirms the school's emergency fund has received approximately $400 in donations earmarked for homeless students, and a local executive has pledged $1,000 per month. Any homeless student is encouraged to apply for assistance from the fund.

"I would certainly like a chunk of that," Lindley says, while acknowledging that he has also received a check from John Olson, vice president of College Advancement and executive director of the EvCC Foundation, as well as some offers directly based on The Herald article.

In contrast to his lingering feelings of discontent with the aid process, Lindley is unrelentingly optimistic about achieving his goals, which include two degrees and a home of his own. He considers the sacrifice of being homeless and jobless worth it for the long term financial gains he anticipates upon graduation.

Lindley says he has even begun the process of establishing a non-profit foundation to assist students like himself, who qualify for financial aid to pay their tuition but need help finding and affording permanent housing, food and other essentials. "There are some people I'm talking to" Lindley says, about receiving laptop donations and other assistance.