aaascholarships, Author at AAA Scholarship Foundation

4 Easy Application Tips for Parents

June 5, 2015 by aaascholarships

AAA Scholarship Foundation wants you to take advantage of the variety of online applications that we offer for parents and students to fill out. We want this process to be simple for you, as we have hopes that we can continue to reach more students and help children. The application is the first step towards a positive change for many children.

To assist you and your child with application process we’ve included some simple but specific guidelines below. Take a look at these to help you get started on your application.

Getting Started: There are several ways to get to the application page, the easiest of when is on the home page of our website. On the right hand side you will see two options, begin by choosing, “Parents > Apply Now.” This will lead you directly to the application page.

How It’s Organized: Once you’ve selected to apply as a parent you will see that the page is organized by state. Our scholarships are offered in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Some states offer more than one type of scholarship, so you’ll see multiple scholarships listed for the same state. Select the type of scholarship that best applies to you in your state.

Breaking It Down: Most of the states listed on our website include an application for an income-based scholarship, while others also include applications for other types of scholarships. Under the colored banner of each state with their specific scholarship title, you will be able to access various helpful documents, including the application, a handbook, FAQ’s and payment calendars.

What to Do: For some of the states, applications are only available online at certain times of the year. All of these applications, which are listed by year, are only available for a certain time frame, so when this window closes the application will no longer be accessible. However, there is a handbook to access more information on this application, at any time.

Other Info: Below the scholarship information by state, you can take a look at “How Income Based Scholarships Are Awarded” and “Scholarship Values.” This information will give you a closer look at the AAA Scholarship Foundation and allow you to find out more about the types of students that receive these scholarships.

In addition to the available handbooks there are email addresses under that state banner that you can email with questions. Please feel free to contact AAA Scholarship Foundation with any questions or concerns by phone at 888-707-2465 or by email at info@aaascholarships.org.

AAA Scholarship Foundation can help Your Students

May 6, 2015 by aaascholarships

The school year is winding down and that means parents don’t have long to figure out how to cover the balance of their child’s tuition. If you have students in your Florida private school, from low-income families, partially funded by a scholarship program, AAA would like to partner with you to help close the gap these parents, so often, can’t cover themselves.

The AAA Scholarship Foundation received a late donation and is required to distribute this money as a 2014-2015 scholarship to eligible low-income students attending Florida private schools. We have until June 30, 2015 to distribute this money, so time is not on our side. If your school has a student that you think would be a great fit for our foundation, we’d love to hear from you!

The deadline for our scholarship (similar to the Step Up for Students scholarship) is May 29, 2015 and right now, we are waiving the application fee. If you have students who missed a Step Up for Students deadline or received a partial scholarship, they should apply with us now. Applications are available on our website, or feel free to contact us directly for more information on how we could potentially help your students.

AAA is a customer-service driven, student-focused organization. We work to maximize the dollars available for scholarships by keeping our overhead low and focusing our efforts on our core mission, helping students succeed.

We believe that parents know their children best and we trust that they can decide the learning environment that best suits their children’s needs. We would love to partner with a private school that thinks the same way, and establish a partnership beyond just the 2014-2015 school year.

Since 2002, the AAA Scholarship Foundation staff has been working in the school choice movement to help eligible low-income students afford to attend the schools that best fit their learning needs. We do this by administering Tax Credit Scholarship Programs in Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Alabama and Pennsylvania.

Our belief always has been, and will continue to be that “access to quality education should not be dependent on a family’s zip code.”

AAA Scholarship Foundation has Florida Scholarships Available Now!

May 6, 2015 by aaascholarships

With the end of the 2014-2015 academic year nearing, it may seem as though scholarship opportunities have all but dried up. If your child is attending a private school in Florida, with a partial scholarship, there is in fact an opportunity to obtain another scholarship, helping your family close the gap between what the current scholarship covers and the full cost of tuition.

The AAA Scholarship Foundation received a late donation and has funds immediately available for distribution as 2014-2015 scholarships to eligible low- income students attending eligible Florida private schools. We have until June 30, 2015 to distribute this money, so act now to secure your student’s private school funding. Our goal is always to provide as much assistance as possible to those who need it most, the students.

The deadline for our Florida income-based scholarship is May 29, 2015 and right now, we are waiving the application fee. If you have a child who missed a Step Up for Students deadline or received a partial scholarship, apply with us now. Applications are available on our website, or feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions about how our scholarship program can help your family.

If your child receives a scholarship for the 2014-2015 school year, not only will the scholarship help cover tuition for this year, but it helps increase the chances of your child becoming a recipient of an AAA scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year.

Our belief always has been, and will continue to be that “access to quality education should not be dependent on a family’s zip code.”

Five Benefits of Donating to an Educational Scholarship Foundation

April 20, 2015 by aaascholarships

Giving a student a chance at a brighter future.
When students are awarded an educational scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, they are given a fair shot at success. Scholarship programs give children, from low income families the chance to decide for themselves which school to attend, one that is best suited for them. Take our very own Noah Allen, for example. Noah Allen, a high school junior in Georgia, comes from a low-income, single-parent household in a difficult neighborhood, and was underperforming in school. Since being awarded an educational scholarship and enrolling at The Dinoff School for the Gifted, Noah has become a leader both in school at at home. “Noah is a shining example of what our state can do for its future,” says Lesley Dinoff, the school’s Headmaster. “He will have options and choices that he never would have had without the AAA scholarship. Giving families access to educational opportunity will only reward us as a community, state and nation as we will see with Noah as he becomes an adult, able to not only survive, but thrive.”
Tax credit
When individuals or corporations make a redirected tax payment to a tax credit scholarship foundation, they may receive up to a 100 percent tax credit for every dollar they redirect. Your contribution can be used to fund scholarships for children in a specific region, or across a state.
Higher graduation rates
When students receive educational scholarships, allowing them to go to the school of their choice, results in a significantly higher graduation rate. An evaluation of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (DCOSP) — a voucher program for low-income children in Washington, D.C. — revealed that over 90 percent of DCOSP students graduated from high school, compared to just 70 percent of their peers with similar characteristics who remained in D.C. public schools.
Increases in public school achievement
Research has shown that greater degrees of competition are associated with greater improvements in students’ test scores at the public schools. This is also true for students with disabilities. A 2008 study conducted by the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, evaluating the impact of exposure to a voucher program for disabled students in Florida, concluded that “contrary to the hypothesis that school choice harms students who remain in public schools, this study finds that students eligible for vouchers who remained in the public schools made greater academic improvements as their school choices increased.”
Personal satisfaction
Of course many will say that helping those in need “is the right thing to do,” but there’s more to it than that. A 2008 study to examine if there is a direct connection between one’s financial and emotional wealth, conducted at the Harvard Business School by Professor Michael Norton and his colleagues, “showed that those who reported spending more on others, what the team called ‘prosocial’ spending, also reported a greater level of happiness, while how much they spent on themselves had no impact on happiness.” That’s right, spending money on someone else can make you even happier than spending it on yourself!

As you can see, there are many reasons to redirect your tax payments to an educational scholarship foundation. Everyone has different causes that are near and dear to their heart, but contributing to the future success of a student has many benefits that go far beyond your initial contribution.

The AAA Scholarship Foundation team has invested more than 15 years devoted to passionately advocating for the under-served, under-represented and academically disadvantaged members of our communities. Find out how you can contribute to change the future of someone in need through your redirected tax payment.

Why Governor Andrew Cuomo Wants to Bring Education Tax Credits to New York

April 1, 2015 by aaascholarships

When Governor Andrew Cuomo presented his vision this year for a budget, he gave it the name “the Opportunity Agenda.” A large part of this “opportunity” agenda focused on education, and more specifically, the Education Tax Credit, or ETC. The ETC would allow taxpayers to claim a tax credit for education-related donations.

Governor Cuomo believes that “one of the most important paths to opportunity is a good education,” and that “the ETC would expand options for families seeking additional choices” in education. He also believes that the ETC will benefit both public and nonpublic school students alike, with half of the donations going toward public education entities and the other half towards educational scholarship organizations. This push for a change in policy comes at a time when much of the population is divided on the issue, but Governor Cuomo is certain this is a win for the future of New York state.
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Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts May Get a Boost

March 12, 2015 by aaascholarships

Rick Scott, Florida’s Governor, announced a budget proposal prioritizing funding for students with special needs. This is good news for families eligible for Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA’s), a scholarship which functions much like a savings account that allows families to purchase approved necessary education products and services.

According to a press release from the Governor’s Press Office, Rick Scott has proposed a $5 million increase for Personal Learning Scholarships Accounts for eligible students with disabilities in grades K-12. As part of his “KEEP FLORIDA WORKING” budget he is dedicating these funds, along with others, to provide funding to individuals with critical needs.
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The Best Time to Change Schools

February 7, 2015 by aaascholarships

Every child is different, but the impact of starting a new school mid-year or anytime, can prove overwhelming; for even the most confident child. Furthermore, the damaging impact on the child may be exacerbate if the child endures multiple moves in a short period of time; particularly during the early childhood stage.

“There’s a clear association between changing schools and an increased risk for behavior problems,” says Dr. Mona Mansour, a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who recently presented study results on this topic to the Pediatric Academic Societies. “Children who change schools frequently are more likely to have behavioral issues.”
[Read more…]

Review of School Voucher Program Reveals Correlation between Low-income Minority Students and Attainment of a College Degree

February 1, 2015 by aaascholarships

African American Student Celebrates Graduation According to a new study conducted on the efficacy of school choice on minorities in general by Matthew M. Chingos of the Brookings Institution and Paul E. Peterson of the Harvard Kennedy School, there is a direct correlation between private elementary school opportunities that are afforded low-income, minority students, with an increased likelihood of their enrollment in college and subsequent receipt of a bachelor’s degree.

The press release posted by the Harvard Kennedy School cites: “…minority students who received a school voucher to attend private elementary schools in 1997 were, as of 2013, 10 percent more likely to enroll in college and 35 percent more likely than their peers in public school to obtain a bachelor’s degree.” [Read more…]

Quinton Johnson

February 1, 2015 by aaascholarships

Many of our donors and families remember Quinton Johnson. He was a spotlight student in April 2013. Quinton is a preeminent example of what can happen in a child’s life if they are given the opportunity to choose the school that best meets their unique learning needs. As a child, he experienced the “harshest of circumstances.” Then it was determined that he should be in the care of his grandmother, Verdelle Johnson, who saw such potential in Quinton that she searched out help to get him into a school that would share her vision for his future.

At just 14 years old, he said “My grandma showed me that I could do better things with my life, she taught me to try my best in everything I do.” The theme that comes to mind for those that know him is “character.” Quinton strives to show through his actions how you can influence your future with a little help from others.
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Patrick Vega

January 3, 2015 by aaascholarships

After losing his father when he was only 12 years old, Patrick Vega vowed to help his mom in any way that he could. He realized that succeeding in school and being a productive member of his family and the community were the best things he could offer. Thanks to a scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, Patrick has been able to fulfill that promise and has risen as a star at his school – excelling in academics, sports and other extracurricular activities.

The untimely passing of Patrick’s father left an empty space in the Vega family and put a financial strain on Patrick’s mother, Gracie. She was determined to keep Patrick on track with his academics during this tough time, but worried that she would not be able to afford the tuition for him to attend Bourgade Catholic High School, where his older brother attended and where the members of the church and school had served as a close-knit community for the Vega family after the loss of her husband. However, after consulting with the financial aid department at Bourgade, she learned about the AAA Scholarship Foundation and applied. Receiving the news that Patrick was approved for a scholarship provided Gracie with a huge sense of relief and reassurance that her family was going to be okay.
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