Students receive 'Beacon" support

Scholarships go to 30 children

The first-ever Beacon of Hope Scholarships have been awarded to 30 students, the Catholic Schools Office of the Albany Diocese has announced.

The scholarships provide tuition assistance of $1,500 a year for up to three years. That amount is approximately half of the tuition charged at an elementary school and about one-third of the tuition at a high school.

"We are very proud to offer this additional tuition assistance to all these deserving young people whose families recognize the quality and value of a Catholic education," said Sister Jane Herb, IHM, superintendent of schools. "We certainly hope that we can expand this program in the years ahead so that more and more young people can discover the many benefits of attending our schools."

Wide interest

The Schools Office received 240 applications for the scholarships. The recipients were chosen by the Beacon of Hope (BOH) Selection Committee, which is comprised of Schools Office staff, the BOH Advisory Council and the Diocesan School Board.

The determination was based primarily on income after core expenses, the number of children in the family and the number of them attending Catholic schools.

The 30 recipients are enrolled at 17 of the 30 Catholic schools in the 14-county Diocese.

Sees need

"Considering the number of applicants," Sister Jane said, "it's plainly obvious that there is a distinct need for this scholarship program. That's why we expect to expand our on-going efforts to seek additional support in the months and years ahead so that we can assist many more students and their families who are committed to a Catholic education."

The Beacon of Hope Scholarship Fund, which was created less than a year ago, has already secured more than $130,000 in donations, primarily as a result of a fundraising breakfast held last year and a dinner in March.

"We remain extremely grateful to all those who have contributed, especially the major support that Beacon of Hope received this past year from Fidelis Care, and the additional sponsorship of Weatherguard Roofing and Bank of America," Sister Jane said.

The number of students who received scholarships and their schools (alphabetically by city): St. Catherine, Albany, 1; Bishop Maginn High, Albany, 2; St. Casimir, Albany, 2; Blessed Sacrament, Albany, 3; St. Mary, Amsterdam, 1; St. Mary/St. Alphonsus, Glens Falls, 1; St. Ambrose, Latham, 1; St. Francis de Sales, Loudonvillle, 1; St. Helen, Niskayuna, 1; Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, Schenectady, 2; St. John the Evangelist, Schenectady, 4; St. Augustine, Troy, 1; Our Lady of Victory, Troy, 3; Catholic Central High, Troy, 2; Sacred Heart, Troy, 3; Christ the King, Westmere, 1; St. Jude, Wynantskill, 1.

(For information, contact Nicki Pezzulo, director of development, at 453-6676. Donors may restrict their contributions to students enrolled at a particular school. Additional tuition assistance may be available through individual school scholarship programs. Furthermore, the Diocese provides tuition help via the Kenneth and Thelma Lally Partnership in Education Fund.)

(6/28/07) [[In-content Ad]]