TOP IMAGE © Courtesy of Inner-City Scholarship Fund
Each year, hundreds of families in the Archdiocese of New York seek out Catholic school education for their children. Despite the modest tuition charged by inner-city Catholic schools, tuition is still an insurmountable barrier for many low-income families, but it does not have to be. Inner-City Scholarship Fund, a non-profit organization dedicated to making a quality Catholic school education a viable choice for low-income families, seeks to eliminate this barrier through a variety of tuition assistance programs.
Inner-City Scholarship Fund changes lives for the better by providing families with the opportunity to give their children a quality education in New York. Donors to Inner-City Scholarship Fund help offset the cost of tuition at Catholic schools, enabling hardworking students to pursue a high-quality education in an academically competitive, values-oriented setting.
The fund’s flagship program, Be A Student’s Friend, matches donors with students currently enrolled in Catholic elementary or high schools who are recommended by their principals.
For students, this support is immeasurable. On top of being given the opportunity to attend a school that cares about their learning potential, they also receive the heartwarming knowledge that donors believe in their ability to succeed. Donor support makes it possible for students to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
Inner-City Scholarship Fund also provides tuition assistance to families transferring from a public school or currently attending an elementary school in the Archdiocese of New York, scholarships for students moving onto high school, and even Emergency Tuition Assistance grants for families experiencing unforeseen financial hardships. In the 2020–2021 school year, over 9,000 scholarships were distributed to students in Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of New York.
Although nearly 75 percent of the students enrolled in inner-city Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York come from homes living at or below the federal poverty line, inner-city Catholic schools enable students and their families to break the cycle of poverty through quality education, and their investment in these children pays off. An astounding 99 percent of seniors attending Catholic high schools graduate and 98 percent of those graduates are accepted to higher education. Even more inspiring is the number of scholarship recipients who go on to achieve success in their careers and continue the cycle of hope by becoming donors for the next generation of students.
Safe and welcoming with small class sizes and mutual respect, inner-city Catholic schools provide a space for children in grades K-12 to connect with their faith while excellent teachers guide them toward their potential. Inner-City ensures that the gift of an excellent Catholic school education continues to be a viable option for students of all faiths today and for future generations to come.
2021 marked the 50th anniversary of Inner-City Scholarship Fund, a milestone year to remember the donors who have changed the lives of thousands of children, and the students who have gone on to achieve their potential and inspire future generations to do the same.
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For more than 50 years, Inner-City Scholarship Fund has helped New York’s children receive a life changing Catholic school education.
