Tuesday January 27th, 2004
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CEO AMERICA, Lehigh Valley
33 South 7th Street, Suite #115
Allentown, PA 18101
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Jim Saunders - President (484) 553-1255 cell phone
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM URGES PA BUSINESSES TO INVEST IN EDUCATION NOW - Area scholarship program for financially disadvantaged children, experiencing hundred-fold increase in applicants, far outstripping currently available funds.
In the last few weeks CEO AMERICA, Lehigh Valley, a tuition assistance scholarship program founded in 1999, has received over 2,200 applications from financially disadvantaged children. The scholarships will be awarded until the money is exhausted, to first through twelfth grade students, at the end of June.
From roughly an eight to ten county area in Pennsylvania, with heavy concentrations from Lehigh and Northampton counties, the application increase comes at the same time as the Educational Improvement Tax CREDIT which can make more funds available fast. The new law allows businesses to contribute to these scholarships and receive 90% of their money back in PA tax CREDIT with a single simple form designed to reduce the red-tape normally associated with tax accounting.
The form, guidelines and some frequently asked questions are available online at www.ceoamerica.net under the link for businesses.
This year CEO AMERICA, Lehigh Valley is already helping about 400 children and their parents. More families are to be added in two weeks. They provide three-year scholarships for financially disadvantaged children in Pennsylvania to attend any public, parochial or non-public school.
CEO AMERICA, Lehigh Valley is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit scholarship organization. It does not work for any special interest groups, religious organizations or labor unions. It does not work for any particular school or group of schools. It works for children.