Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation
Provides Tuition Assistance 

The Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation continues to help families fund their children’s Catholic education.

For the current school year, 1,039 students have received awards totaling $872,090, averaging $839 per award. Included were 148 Pre-K awards totaling $35,235.

Since the Foundation was established five years ago, $5,090,064 has been given to 5,273 students in Diocesan Catholic schools.

The awards are made possible through donations from businesses who participate in the Pennsylvania State Educational Improvement Tax Credit program. The program offers direct tax credits to businesses that make a donation to a qualified scholarship organization such as the Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation.

Once the donations are made, the donor company receives a 75%, 90% or 100% credit against Pennsylvania taxes depending on the type and length of their participation.

“The businesses that have contributed to our Foundation should be commended for helping with the tuition costs of more than 5,000 students over the past five years. Many families depend on this assistance to send their children to Diocesan schools. I am grateful to the contributors and very pleased to have offered assistance to our families,” said Ernest Pappa, director of the Scholarship Foundation.

Since the program began in July 2001, 65 corporations have participated and 99% of the donations received from them has been distributed to eligible families.

“We could offer even more help if more businesses applied for the tax credits,” said Mr. Pappa. “The process is not complicated, and companies of all sizes can benefit. And most importantly, the real beneficiaries are the families that receive assistance.”

New tax credits will be available on July 2, 2007. Companies are urged to apply on that date by fax or email. Further information is available on the Diocesan website at www.dioceseofscranton.org or on the state website at www.newpa.com.

For the 2007-08 school year, $903,658 will be available from the Scholarship Foundation. Of this amount, $62,400 will be exclusively for Pre-K, which is a separate and distinct program under the Pennsylvania EITC guidelines.

Families can apply for this tuition assistance via the PSAS applications that have been sent to parents. The deadline for receipt of the application is April 16, 2007.

Applications are processed by the PSAS Company of Ohio, which then furnishes the ranking information to the Scholarship Foundation. Awards will be finalized by the Foundation in June and July.

In Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties, the $100 registration fee includes the $20 application fee. Parents need only send in a verification of school registration with their application form.

Families in schools in all other counties are required to send in the $20 application fee with their form.

Families in the Hazleton area are eligible to receive aid for students registering at Marian Catholic High School in Tamaqua. The PSAS application has a listing for Marian Catholic including a school code. The same criteria for determining aid in Diocesan schools will be used for applicants to Marian Catholic.

In addition to the Scholarship Foundation awards, tuition assistance is also available through Bishop McCormick grants from the Diocesan Annual Appeal, which provides awards totaling $120,000 annually based on family need.

In all cases, amounts available for distribution will vary by school since donors can designate specific schools for their donations.

Applications for K–12 scholarships are available in all Diocesan schools, and the Pre-K applications will be available in all schools with Pre-K programs.

Information on applying for an award and the process for making corporate donations is also available by calling the Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation at 570-207-2250.

Diocese of Scranton Scholarship Foundation
Tuition Assistance Awards for 2006-07

School                              Location            Awards                   Amount Amount                                                                                                          

Sacred Heart                     Carbondale           23                      $8,510

Our Lady of Peace             Clarks Green         25                      $20,000

Msgr. McHugh                    Cresco                    9                      $5,365

Gate of Heaven                  Dallas                   39                      $29,330

St. Mary Visitation              Dickson City          47                     $32,120

Bishop O’Hara HS               Dunmore              12                     $23,000

St. Anthony of Padua         Dunmore               20                    $16,330

St. Mary Mt. Carmel             Dunmore             32                     $16,965 

Sacred Heart                       Dupont               17                     $9,790

Holy Rosary                         Duryea                22                    $15,330

Notre Dame                         E. Stroudsburg     9                    $5,295

Notre Dame Jr./ Sr. HS         E. Stroudsburg     6                    $10,000

Wyoming Area Catholic        Exeter                 31                   $21,825

Holy Family Academy            Hazleton             48                   $27,655

Bishop Hafey Jr / Sr. HS        Hazleton             39                  $59,700

St. Vincent                            Honesdale          15                  $6,285

La Salle Academy                  Jessup                21                  $10,325

Bishop O’Reilly HS                 Kingston             36                  $55,000

Bishop O’Reilly Jr. HS             Kingston               7                  $10,000

Regis Elementary                   Kingston            33                  $33,495

Sacred Heart                          Luzerne               8                  $5,130

St. Jude                                  Mountaintop       17                 $12,965

Pope John Paul II                   Nanticoke           13                 $5,195

St. Mary                                  Old Forge           25                 $16,190

Seton Catholic HS                   Pittston              30                 $42,600

St. Mary Assumption               Pittston              20                 $12,660

SS. Peter & Paul                      Plains                12                 $6,330

Epiphany                                 Sayre                 11                $7,000

All Saints Academy                  Scranton            28                $14,925

Bishop Hannan HS                  Scranton            29                $25,100

Holy Rosary                             Scranton            26                $17,165

Marian Catholic                       Scranton            53                $52,945

St. Clare                                  Scranton            37                $22,485

St. Paul                                    Scranton            32                $22,000

St. Agnes                                 Towanda           15                $10,165

Bishop Hoban HS                     Wilkes-Barre      35                $52,300

Sacred Heart                            Wilkes-Barre      12                $6,295

St. Aloysius                               Wilkes-Barre      12               $7,830

St. Boniface                               Wilkes-Barre      14               $8,995

St. Nicholas / St. Mary               Wilkes-Barre       24              $18,000

St. John Neumann Academy      Williamsport      118              $98,005                                                                                                                      

(Average Award  –  $839)                Total   1,039             $872,090

Applicants for tuition assistance are ranked based on financial need. The amount of money available at each school varies because donors can designate their contribution for specific schools.