A kind fund helps veterinary students in need during unkind situations

 

Drs. Mac Hafen and Adryanna Drake promote the NIK fund Drs. McArthur Hafen and Adryanna Drake represent the CVM's Counseling Services at the Kind Heart event, and share information about how the NIK Fund (Need in Kind) that helps support veterinary students when in emergency situations.

At the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine, student wellness has been a longstanding priority for more than two decades. Programs to address wellness have grown steadily over this time period. While veterinary students frequently report financial stress due to high educational costs and the cost of living, emergency situations create additional burdens, sometimes to the point where a student feels his or her future at K-State may be in jeopardy.

To address this issue, Dr. Dan ‘77 and Kathy Richardson established the Need In Kind fund in 2021. The fund is designed to provide up to $1,500 in temporary emergency assistance to students who are facing medical bills, car repairs, funeral travel or home-related issues like flooding, fires or structural issues. Dozens of donors have supported this fund, including a generous alumnus who made a sizable contribution to the endowment earlier this year.

“Students are aware of the NIK fund and are invited to let the Counseling Office know when they have an urgent financial need,” said Dr. McArthur Hafen, clinical professor and director of Counseling Services. “Most of the time, though, a CVM administrator or faculty member encourages the student to talk with the Counseling Office after learning of an urgent financial need.”

Dr. Hafen, a clinical professor, and Dr. Adryanna Drake, a clinical associate professor and counselor in the CVM, recently gave a joint presentation about the NIK fund and other wellness programs during the annual Kind Heart celebration event held at the K-State Alumni Association in early November.

“The Counseling Office confirms that a student’s situation and need fits the criteria of the fund,” Dr. Hafen said. “For example, the fund would not cover travel money for a conference. When the need is confirmed, we let the CVM Business Office know who the student is and the amount of the award. The CVM Business Office submits this information to the university Financial Aid office on main campus. On average, the student will receive the financial assistance within seven business days.”

“In the spring of 2025, I lost my dad suddenly due to an accident,” said Dr. Kortnee Van Nest, a graduate with the DVM class of 2025. “Within that same week, a pipe burst in my house and caused extensive water damage leading me needing to completely remodel my kitchen, living room and basement. This scholarship provided my husband and me with peace of mind to know we had the funds to help manage our housing situation until we could process our grief and begin working on restoring our home.”

 

NIK fund graphic and story
Dr. Kortnee Van Nest graduated in 2025 and was able to stay on track with assistance from the NIK Fund during an unexpected situation.


To date, more than $4,000 has been distributed to 11 different students dealing with several different situations.

“We are so happy to see that this fund is doing exactly what Kathy and I hoped it would,” said Dr. Richardson.

Help the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine support our veterinary students who suddenly face urgent and unexpected challenges. Emergencies happen. Support future veterinarians today with a donation to the NIK Fund. Visit the online giving link at ksufoundation.org/give/NIK.

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