Tuesday, August 28, 2007 in NY Daily News
BY TANYANIKA SAMUELS
For Bronx parents anxious about paying Catholic school tuition, help is just a phone call away.
Thousands of dollars in scholarships are still available, particularly for students starting kindergarten and for those transferring from public schools.
“Sometimes because of costs and economics, parents really don’t have a choice when it comes to educating their children. These scholarships will guarantee that choice,” said Jacqueline Lofaro, spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of New York.
Nearly 33,000 students attend 77 Catholic schools across the Bronx, with an average tuition of $3,000 per year. Forty-seven of those schools are participating in the scholarship programs.
“Many of our schools in the Bronx have parents who truly sacrifice to be able to afford to send their students to Catholic schools,” Lofaro said. “So we are always encouraging donations for these scholarships.”
That effort got a huge boost in late spring after Wall Street tycoon Robert Wilson donated $22.5 million for a special scholarship program to help inner-city youth.
Susana Fernandez, 25, of Pelham Bay, has been taking advantage of the extra funds.
Her daughter, Kaylin Abreu, 6, is about to enter the second grade at St. John Vianney in Castle Hill. This year, Fernandez got just over $2,000 toward the $3,850 tuition.
“For me it really helped a lot,” said Fernandez, who chose not to send her daughter to public school. “There are flaws in the public school system. I feel like in Catholic school, she’ll get the attention she needs in smaller classes.”
On average, Catholic schools have a 95% graduation rate which eclipses the city rates, put by state officials at 43.5%, though city officials argue it is more like 58.2%.
Fernandez, who went to a city high school, acknowledged that not all city schools are bad, but said her daughter’s future is more secure in Catholic school.
“I just want her to have a good education and to feel like if she has a problem, she can go to her teacher and that teacher will have the time to listen to her,” she said.
Fernandez also has a 3-year old daughter who will automatically qualify for a scholarship when she enters kindergarten.
“There are scholarships and grants for college, but people need help when their kids are young, too,” she said. “People should definitely take advantage of this.”
tsamuels@nydailynews.com
For more information on scholarships, call (212) 515-7137 or visit www.scholarshipfund.org/map