The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) President and CEO Janice R. Black announced today that more than $1.4 million was awarded in scholarship funds to 540 local students for the 2019 – 2020 academic year. Over 1,100 students applied for scholarship assistance.
“We are committed to providing young adults in our community every opportunity to learn and grow through the gift of educational scholarships,” said President and CEO, Black. “Our scholarship funds have been created by generous, community-minded individuals and organizations that recognize the importance of investing in our community’s youth. We thank them for the opportunity to assist them in giving a gift of education to so many young adults.”
TFEC offers over 120 scholarship opportunities through various scholarship funds and management agreements. All scholarships have been established by local individuals, corporations or organizations to assist students with their educational pursuits. Whether honoring loved ones or providing for specific communities, each scholarship expresses a deep belief in the power of education to help today’s youth achieve their dreams.
Educational scholarships impact the community by providing financial support for students to pursue careers. “Inspired by experiences with my orthodontist and my fascination with teeth, I have wanted to pursue a career in dentistry,” Alyssa Blair, the 2019 recipient of the James G. Hewlett Memorial Scholarship, explains. “As a patient, I have witnessed the connection and relationships my orthodontist has with his patients. I hope to one day inspire students like I was inspired by my dental professionals.”
She thanked her scholarship donor and selection committee saying, “With this support I will have the opportunity to focus more on serving others with less concern on the financial obligations. … Receiving this scholarship motivates me to maintain my GPA and remain top of my class. I look
forward to being able to give back to my community once I begin my career in dental hygiene.” Alyssa is enrolled in an accelerated dental hygiene program at The University of Pittsburgh and graduated from James Buchanan High School in June 2019.
Visit www.tfec.org to review available scholarships, eligibility criteria, and deadlines for the 2020-2021 academic year. Applications will re-open by January 1 for online submissions.
TFEC is proud to be one of 46 partner organizations with American Education Services (AES)/PHEAA’s Partnerships for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program. As a participating organization, TFEC scholarship recipients are eligible to have their awards matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $2,500 by AES/PHEAA’s PATH Program. For additional information about this program and detailed eligibility criteria, please visit www.pheaa.org.
