AFFORDABILITY WITHIN REACH
Aaron and Jessica Read
Eighth Graders, Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary School
Now in eighth grade, Aaron and Jessica are both excelling in the classroom and beating the odds.
Our Approach
HEART SET ON A SCHOOL
“Don’t tell me more, I can’t afford it,” were the first words out of Yesenia’s mouth when she learned how much it would cost to send her twins, Aaron and Jessica, to Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary School in East Harlem. Yesenia had her heart set on the school because of its safe and caring environment, high test scores, and close proximity to the Head Start program where she worked on the kitchen staff.
Fortunately, she learned about CSF and what seemed so impossible is now a reality.
A BACKPACK STUFFED WITH BOOKS
Now in eighth grade, Aaron and Jessica are both excelling in the classroom and beating the odds. Jessica is a gifted artist and Aaron is such an avid reader that he regularly carries up to 15 books in his backpack. They also love the school’s required violin and ballroom dancing classes.
THE TOOLS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE
It is admittedly tough for Yesenia to pay her portion of the tuition but she is willing to make any sacrifice to ensure her children can remain in the school they love so much: “I have no doubt that they are benefiting and if it wasn’t for their scholarships, I wouldn’t be able to afford this school. CSF is helping me and giving them the tools to get ahead in life.”
Photo Credits: Emily Burke Photography (2nd from top). All other photos © Alexandra Frumberg.
CSF is committed to advancing education reform efforts nationwide.
Until all children have access to a quality education, we will continue to provide scholarships to families in need so they can choose the private school that best meets their children’s needs.
Our scholarships provide children with the tools and opportunities they need to succeed. We empower families with both the financial resources and the information they need to choose the right school for their children. All CSF families pay a portion of their tuition each year, making them fully invested in their children’s education. One hundred percent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding scholarships.
We also offer financial, capacity-building, and management and operations support to scholarship organizations nationwide. We invest where our resources and expertise will have the most significant long-term impact and work hand-in-hand with the staff and boards of the programs we support. To see where we work, click here.
SUMMARY QUICK FACTS
PRIVATE SCHOOL STUDENTS SCORE HIGHER
Private school students score higher on standardized tests and are more likely to graduate high school than their public school counterparts. [Source: U.S. Department of Education’s Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. 2002]
ON THEIR WAY TO A BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Students who attend private school in eighth grade are twice as likely as to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher by their mid-twenties (52 percent versus 26 percent) than their peers in public school. [Source: U.S. Department of Education’s Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. 2002]
SCHOLARSHIPS INCREASE COLLEGE ATTENDANCE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS
In 2012, a Brookings/Harvard study found that African-American students in New York who won and used a scholarship to attend private school starting in Kindergarten were 24 percent more likely to attend college than those who applied but failed to win a scholarship. [Source: Matthew M. Chingos and Paul E. Peterson Study, “The Effects of School Vouchers on College Enrollment“]
IMPROVING THE ODDS FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN
Low-income children who attend private school are almost four times as likely to go to college. [Source: U.S. Department of Education’s Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. 2002]
POLICY EFFORTS STRENGTHENING EDUCATION SYSTEM
CSF is committed to strengthening American K-8 education by educating parents and the public about state and local policies that give all children access to a good education, regardless of their family’s income level or where they live. Learn more about CSF and CSF partner program efforts.