AAA Scholarship Foundation

We Make Academic Achievement Accessible

888.707.2465 | info@aaascholarships.org

AAA’s response to a change in Florida’s Income-Based Scholarship Program

by

AAA Scholarship Foundation is committed to resolving an issue brought to our attention by the Florida Department of Education in a way that honors the legislative intent of CS/HB 7067, while maintaining fidelity to the charitable trust of our donors, compliance with both the Florida Solicitation of Contributions Act and the Internal Revenue Code, and most importantly, dedication to our scholarship recipients.

We have been in communication with the Department regarding this issue and have offered several possible solutions that would allow us to maintain the integrity of our values and beliefs.  Our proposed solutions would allow us to continue to be representative of our charitable mission/exempt purpose, while complying with the letter of the law – that renewal students are eligible for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program regardless of income. Unfortunately, our solutions have not been accepted by the Department, but we remain hopeful that together we will arrive at a path that is in the best interest of the scholarship students.

Just as we celebrate the diverse students and communities we serve, we ask the State Board of Education and Florida Department of Education to continue to support the idea that having a choice of different Scholarship Funding Organizations administering the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program makes it a stronger, more robust Educational Choice Program for the citizens of Florida.

AAA Georgia Scholarship Graduate, Warren Brinson, Pays-It-Forward

by

What an incredible example of paying it forward! Warren Brinson is an AAA Scholarship graduate who has continued on to higher education with a full football scholarship to the University of Georgia this year.

In between classes and football practice, Warren and his teammates recently spent time getting groceries to donate to the UGA “Dawgs for Pups” food drive to help underprivileged youth during these difficult times. Here is a link to a video that Warren made of the shopping expedition!

We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of Warren’s story and can’t wait to see all he will accomplish on and off the football field. Way to go Warren!

We Stand with the Black Community

by

AAA Scholarship Foundation is built on empowering economically-disadvantaged children to access the educational opportunities that may otherwise be out of their reach. We are a strong organization because our scholarships strive for equity, are inclusive, and because we exist to serve a diverse group of families and children.

It breaks our hearts that so many children and their family members are the targets of anti-black racism. Racism has no place in America – or anywhere. It destroys lives. It steals opportunities. Ultimately, it weakens the bonds of our nation and breaks the very fabric that should be holding us together.

We stand with the Black community to condemn racism in its every form and manifestation. We support the act of peacefully protesting against oppression, injustice, and brutality. We commit to continue the hard work of breaking down the barriers to the educational opportunities that so many Black and Brown children face daily.

We believe in the American dream for EVERYONE and that a high-quality education is the surest means to achieving it. We pledge to re-double our efforts to help make that dream come true for all of the children that we serve.

City of Miami establishes a program to assist the community during COVID-19

by

HOT OFF THE PRESS! The City of Miami is the first city in the nation to establish a program to assist families with rent and utility assistance. The city is establishing a website and application process which will begin on May 4th, 2020.

Video in English: https://youtu.be/80hHOku0dpE?t=847

Video in Spanish here: https://youtu.be/80hHOku0dpE?t=1092

Rental / Utility Assistance Program:

  • Residents with 60% or below of area median income can apply.
  • Up to $1,500 and the funds will be paid directly to landlord and/or utility company.
  • Funds will be ready by mid-May to still be able to pay the May rent before late fees are incurred.

Micro Small Business Loans:

Grant Program for Business with 5 Employees or Less:

  • Businesses with 5 employees or less can receive a grant up to $10,000 – to cover rent and other costs.  (Business must have not received PPP funds).

Small Business Loan:

Small Business loan that is potentially forgivable, if one job is created, pays for costs not included in the PPP and supplemental to the PPP.  Up to $20,000 loan is forgivable is a job is created.

COVID-19 Amendments to Check Cashing Policy

by

AAA Scholarship Foundation is grateful to be able to continue its work to benefit low-income students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To provide students and their families some peace of mind while ensuring that every school receives payment for educational services rendered, we are temporary amending AAA’s Scholarship Check Cashing Policies as follows:

1) The requirement that scholarship checks remain on school premises is relaxed temporarily. Instead, we ask that these checks simply stay in the custody of a school representative. That means that if a school representative is dropping off and picking up packets of school work to/from students, they may bring the checks with them for the Parent/Guardian to endorse the check over to the school. Schools should stamp the back of each check with their school’s “For Deposit Only by [school name]” bank stamp before removing them from school premises.

Just a reminder that these checks are payments from the Parents/Guardians to their child(ren)’s school for services rendered. Only the Parent/Guardian named on the check may endorse it over to the school. Please contact us at 888-707-2465 or info @ aaascholarships.org if you have any questions or concerns.

We at AAA want to thank all the school teachers, administrators, and staff for their continued service to the AAA Scholars and their families. We wish you all continued good health!

The Dixon Family

by

The Dixon Family
Henderson, NV

“If you change one child’s life, you have the potential to impact multiple generations,” says Debbie Dixon, a mother of four – all of whom have benefitted from the AAA Scholarship Foundation over the past few years.  The Dixon family is no stranger to the challenges life has thrown their way, but Debbie is confident that the education her children have been able to receive has been a saving grace.

Debbie and her husband Bryan have been married for 22 years, working hard to provide a stable environment for their growing family, which today includes four children – Alena (19), Emeline (16), Lillian (13) and Isaac (8).  Originally from Ohio, the family relocated to Nevada in 2005, when their oldest, Alena, was just starting school.  Both Debbie and Bryan had attended public schools themselves and had every intention of enrolling their daughter in their new neighborhood school.  However, Debbie was shocked to learn that the school they were zoned to attend was overcrowded and that half of the children in Alena’s class were performing below grade level.  Because Alena was on track academically, the harsh truth was that it was unlikely that her learning needs would be met due to so many other students that would need help just to stay afloat.

Fearing that Alena would get lost in this type of environment, Debbie and Bryan decided to send Alena to a local private school, American Heritage Academy, in Henderson. American Heritage Academy provides a low student-to-teacher ratio and a top-notch education, with students from the school consistently testing in the top 10 percent of the nation academically.  Aside from academics, the Dixons liked that the school also focuses on equipping students with leadership skills and inspiring them to become good stewards of their communities.  At the time, Bryan had his own tax service business, and the family could afford the private school tuition for Alena and eventually her younger sisters, Emeline and Lillian.  The school was a wonderful fit and the children were thriving.

However, the family encountered a big hurdle when Debbie was pregnant with her fourth child.  She had major complications during the pregnancy, and doctors even told her that she might need to terminate because her own life was at risk.  After 35 weeks of pregnancy, which included 56 days in the intensive care unit, a healthy baby boy named Isaac was born and only had to spend a minimal amount of time in the NICU.  Debbie, however, had a tough road ahead, undergoing five more surgeries over the next few years.

During this time, Bryan had to take time off from work to care for his four young children as Debbie continued to fight health battles.  Medical bills piled up, as their finances dwindled.  Bryan eventually had to close his business and find a job elsewhere that would provide the family with more substantial healthcare coverage.

With finances tight, it became clear that they would no longer be able to afford to send their children to American Heritage Academy.  However, a glimmer of hope appeared when they learned about the scholarships available from AAA Scholarship Foundation.

“I thought we were going to lose it all,” says Debbie. “Our family had been through so much already. The thought of taking them out of a school that had been their constant stability through all this turmoil crushed me.  But when we received the scholarships from AAA, a huge burden was lifted and I knew my kids were going to be okay.”

Now a few years since receiving the AAA Scholarships, the Dixon children are doing more than okay.  Alena, 19, graduated as salutatorian from American Heritage Academy in 2018 and is currently studying to be a speech pathologist at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, which she is attending on an academic scholarship.  Emeline, 16, has also excelled in school and sports, even earning a scholarship for a club volleyball team.  She is especially gifted in math, and also placed first in the local 2019 Veterans of Foreign Wars Voice of Democracy Contest, an accomplishment she accredits to the school’s well-rounded academic programs that include a focus on leadership and patriotism skills.  Her love of volleyball initiated her transition over to the local public high school, where she is on the varsity volleyball team and is participating in the dual-enrollment program at the local college, thanks to the solid educational foundation she received at American Heritage.

The youngest of the Dixon children continue to thrive at American Heritage.  Lillian, 13, is now in the eighth grade and has developed a love for history and theater.  Isaac, 8, who was already reading Shakespeare in his third-grade class, has become a top performer academically. His recent standardized test indicates that he is performing higher than 75 percent of students nationally in his grade overall, and 99 percent higher than others in math.  He has also enjoyed learning to play the piano.

No doubt, Debbie and Bryan are proud parents for all that their children have accomplished thus far.  And they are grateful that their family was given a helping hand during some of the most trying times in their lives.

“I cannot put into words what this scholarship program means to us,” says Debbie.  “We realize what a gift it is to have these scholarships available for our family when we needed it the most.  Because of the AAA Scholarship Foundation and its donors, my children see that there is good in this world and people who care.”

About AAA Scholarship Foundation

The AAA Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships solely to qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 80 percent of AAA scholarships are distributed to children at or below 200 percent of poverty. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.

AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students through these tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information, or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.

Click here for a pdf of this student spotlight.

Warren Brinson, Taylor Kennedy & Caroline Kennedy

by

Warren Brinson, Taylor Kennedy & Caroline Kennedy
Savannah, GA

The right academic environment can make all the difference in the world when it comes to helping children build successful futures.  Take Warren Brinson, for example.  Some of our readers may remember Warren from a previous spotlight story from December 2018.   Gifted in both academics and sports from a young age, Warren had the potential to rise as a star in the classroom and on the football field.  And once he was given a chance to attend a school that met his needs, he excelled, completing high school early and receiving numerous college football offers.  However, had it not been for the AAA Scholarship Foundation and its generous donors, Warren’s story could have been much different.

A few years ago, when Warren was preparing to enter middle school, his mother, Monik Brinson, feared that the school he was zoned to attend would not be a good fit.  She worried that he would get wrapped up in a negative environment and a crowd that would hinder instead of help grow his budding potential.  As a single parent raising three children on a limited income, Monik could not afford many other options for her children’s education, but she was determined to find a solution. Her answer came in the form of an AAA Scholarship, which would help her afford tuition at a school that could cultivate her son’s talents.

After researching schools in their area, Monik found the one that she knew would be the perfect fit – Savannah Christian Preparatory School.  Aside from its excellent academic and athletic programs, Monik was drawn towards the structured and caring environment at the school.  For one, students were required to wear uniforms, helping to eliminate the idea that students would treat one another differently based on clothing.

The school was also diverse in terms of race, ethnicity and backgrounds among students, and there seemed to be a solid sense of respect for one another throughout the school.  And shortly after Warren started to attend Savannah Christian, when he encountered some trouble with some other students, the administrators were quick to resolve the issue, making both Monik and Warren feel at ease with the school they chose.

After a period of adjusting, Warren acclimated to his new school environment and excelled in his classes and sports.  Over the years, his hard work paid off.  He was chosen to attend the prestigious IMG Academy for football – and his success only continued from there.  During 2019, he was a top recruit for college football and received many offers, including Auburn University, University of Florida and University of Georgia.  He ultimately opted to stay in his home state and chose the University of Georgia (UGA).

In December 2019, Warren was able to finish high school early and enrolled at UGA in January 2020 on a full football scholarship and will be playing defensive tackle on the UGA football team.  As he begins his first year of college, he is focusing his studies on areas that will lead him to either be a sports broadcaster or land him a job in the pharmaceutical industry.

When asked about his experience in the scholarship program, Warren is thankful for the opportunities it has given him and his family and wants to use his experience to impact other children.  “Maybe one day, if I make it to the NFL, I’ll be able to contribute to the AAA Scholarship Foundation so that I can help others walk the same grounds I have walked,” says Warren.

If his past success is any indication, there is no doubt that Warren can achieve anything he sets his mind to accomplish. And Warren is not the only one in his family that has experienced great success in the scholarship program.  Seeing the incredible impact Savannah Christian Prep had on Warren, Monik chose to enroll her two daughters, Taylor and Caroline, at the school, also on AAA Scholarships.

Taylor, who initially struggled in the classroom, was able to bring her grades up to honor roll status thanks to the extra help and tutoring programs offered.  Taylor is now in the 8th grade and loves science and art and plays on the school’s basketball team.  She has become quite the budding artist, placing in several art contests, including being chosen as one of only 10 middle school students to receive an offer to attend Savannah College of Art & Design when she finishes high school.  Aside from a love of art, she also has great admiration for animals and is interested in studying zoology.

Caroline, Monik’s youngest child, is also thriving at Savannah Christian.  Currently, in the third grade, Caroline has made it on the school’s high honor roll and loves playing in sports like her older siblings, including basketball, soccer, track and gymnastics.

When asked her thoughts on her family’s experience over the past few years, Monik says, “In one word, grateful.  I made a lot of sacrifices to get my children to this point – to make sure that they had a good education and everything they needed to succeed – and I could not have done it alone.  AAA Scholarship Foundation and its supporters gave us a helping hand, ensuring that my kids’ dreams could become a reality.”

About AAA Scholarship Foundation

The AAA Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships solely to qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 80 percent of AAA scholarships are distributed to children at or below 200 percent of poverty. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.

AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students through these tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single solution for participating in multiple-state Tax Credit Scholarship Programs. For more information, or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.

Click here for a pdf of this student spotlight.

Show Your Support for Georgia Tax Credit Scholarships

by

DON’T LET THE SUN SET ON GEORGIA’S TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM!

Georgia took a huge step forward for families two years ago and increased the Qualified Education Expense tax credit scholarship program from $58 million to $100 million for the next 10 years. This increase had led to thousands of children having opportunities in new schools that best meet their needs. This year, we’re looking to remove the stepdown of the program cap in future years and keep the program at $100 million. But we need your help.

We are asking parents, schools, and students (creative notes from the kids are best!) to send thank you letters, notes, etc. to their lawmakers in support of the program. You can find your lawmakers by using this site, www.openstates.org, and typing in your address.

Please send your notes and thank you letters by Friday, March 20th to:

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

c/o REP. JOHN CARSON

STATE CAPITOL, SUITE 401-E

ATLANTA, GA 30334

We’d like to inundate the Capitol with thousands of letters!

Let’s make this a huge effort with cards and letters from Georgia’s kids (the first name only for privacy is fine) and others. Thank you!!

Click here for a pdf of this post.

 

Jenna and Michael English

by

Jenna and Michael English
Miami, FL

A big believer in the importance of education, Karin Wilborn-English was grateful that she and her husband, Michael English, were able to afford to send their two children to the schools that would help them build a solid foundation for their futures.  But when the family encountered financial trouble a few years ago, it impacted all areas of their lives and put the children’s education in jeopardy.  However, through unwavering determination, and with the help from the AAA Scholarship Foundation, Karin and Michael were able to keep their family on a steady path.

Jenna, the oldest of the English children, has been academically gifted from a young age.  As an October baby, she was slated to start kindergarten later since she would not turn five years old until after the September cut-off date.  However, while only in pre-K, Jenna was already outperforming her peers and able to read from a young age.  As a result, the school and Jenna’s parents agreed that she was ready to start kindergarten early.  Over the years, Jenna continued to excel and the family was financially stable enough for her to attend a local private school that both engaged and challenged her.  Her younger brother, Michael, soon joined her in school and excelled as well.  By the time they reached middle school, both were doing very well academically and had found a love of sports – volleyball for Jenna and basketball for Michael.

However, the summer before Jenna was going to enter her freshman year of high school, the family hit a roadblock.  For years, Karin’s husband Michael had worked in a family business with his stepfather providing mechanical engineering services to hospitals.  His stepfather ran the business side, while he enjoyed providing the service work to their clients.  Unfortunately, his stepfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and had to step down from the company, leaving him with the responsibility of trying to keep the business afloat on his own.  The business dwindled down and the English family took a big financial loss.  This put a strain on every aspect of their lives as their everyday expenses snowballed and debts piled up.

With no immediate relief in sight, they had to re-evaluate their expenses to see where they could cut down on bills in order to keep the family afloat.  Through all of this, their primary goal was to keep the kids steady and on a straight path, which included their education.  However, affording to keep both children at their private schools was becoming more and more like an impossible dream.  Karin feared that with all that the family was going through, changing the children’s school environment – especially during the influential middle and high school years – would put them at risk for a downward spiral.

“I was scared,” says Karin.  “You know, sometimes when things become unstable at home, that is when trouble can start.  With everything we were going through as a family, I did not want my children to get off on the wrong path.”

Determined to explore every avenue possible to avoid disrupting her children’s education, Karin visited Jenna’s school to find out what options they had and even asked if she could work there to help pay for tuition.  Through her efforts, she learned about the AAA Scholarship Foundation.  She immediately applied and was overcome with emotion after learning that both Jenna and Michael would receive scholarships to attend their parent-selected schools.

That year, Jenna entered her ninth-grade year at St. Brendan High School in Miami.  Not only did she continue to shine academically, but she also became the youngest student to make the varsity volleyball team at the school that year.  Throughout high school she continued to maintain A’s and B’s, even taking on the challenge of college-level courses during her 10th-grade year while maintaining her spot on the varsity volleyball team.  Jenna was even able to join a travel volleyball team and would write essays to secure financial aid to assist with expenses.  In the spring of 2019, Jenna proudly received her high school diploma and is currently enrolled at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami working on a degree in forensic science.  In between her full load of classes, she also serves as a volleyball coach for a traveling team for middle school students.

Michael has also continued to excel in school over the past four years.  He is now a 10th-grade student at Columbus High School, an all-boys school in Miami that has provided him with not only a solid education but also a strong brotherhood of fellow students that support and motivate one another.  For Michael, learning has always come easy and he continues to maintain A’s and B’s while also playing on Columbus’ basketball team as well as a travel team.

Karin admits that the past few years have not been easy and that they are not out of the hole yet.  The family continues to make sacrifices – such as sharing one car for the whole family, which can become chaotic with work, school, and extracurricular activities.  And, although in college, Jenna remains at home for now to avoid additional living expenses and to help her parents out in whatever capacity she can.  However, Karin knows that every sacrifice they have made to ensure their children had a steady school environment during their plight has been well worth it.

“I am so grateful to the AAA Scholarship Foundation and its donors for giving my family a helping hand when we needed it the most,” says Karin.  “With your support, we were able to keep our kids on a steady path when everything else in our life was so uncertain.  You made it possible for them to be in a goal-driven and positive educational environment – the impact of which will last for years to come.”
About AAA Scholarship Foundation

The AAA Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships solely to qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 82.2 percent of AAA scholarships are distributed to children at or below 200 percent of poverty. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.

AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and displaced students through these tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information, or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri @ aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.

Click here for a pdf of this student spotlight.

New study finds that public school students benefit as choice programs scale-up

by

A new study (link), by David N. Figlio, Cassandra M.D. Hart and Krzystof Karbonik, confirms that public school students benefit as choice programs around them scale-up.

This study specifically sought to find out what happened to the students who remained in public schools as others around them participated in scholarship programs that allowed them to attend private schools. It notes that, as of 2019, there were 29 states with either voucher (tuition & fees funded directly by the government) or scholarship (tuition & fee funded by private donations) programs in place.

The researchers focused on the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program (disclosure: AAA is an administrator of the FTC program) as it is the largest of its kind in the United States and has a wealth of student-level data (identity-redacted) – both within the FTC program and the Public School system.

The results indicate that public school students living in households with economic-disadvantages and parents with lower education levels were the most positively affected by this exposure, showing lower levels of suspensions and absences, and higher standardized test scores in reading and math. Even those students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds were positively affected, just to a lesser degree.

The researchers find many reasons for the results – from higher competitive pressure levels to changes in resources received by the public schools. Ultimately, the fact remains that the benefits of school choice are wide-ranging and help many more students than just those directly participating in the program.

If you’d like to find out more about the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program or any of the other scholarships we administer, we welcome you to contact us!