SEPTEMBER 11TH SCHOLARSHIP ALLIANCE SIMPLIFIES EDUCATION AID PROCESS
In an effort to simplify the scholarship application process for postsecondary education for the families of those who died or were permanently disabled in the September 11th terrorist attacks, seven leading scholarship providers and associated organizations have formed the “September 11th Scholarship Alliance” (Alliance).
The Alliance will serve as an information clearinghouse to help ensure that financial assistance for post-high school education, such as college, university and vocational-technical schools, gets into the hands of those who need it most with minimal paperwork and frustration. A toll-free phone number, 1-877-862-0136, is available to initiate the registration process of all eligible families and to obtain application information.
“This is a difficult time for these families, and we want to make sure that no one’s educational dream is deferred due to the events on September 11th,” said Charles V. Raymond of the Citigroup Relief Fund, which has led the effort to form the Alliance. “We believe the ‘September 11th Scholarship Alliance’ will make a real difference in streamlining the financial assistance process and establishing a system that will serve these families for the next 20 to 25 years.”
The Alliance has adopted a common registration database and scholarship application form that will be used by Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation of AmericaSM (CSFA) to identify those scholarships for which each applicant is eligible. CSFA, the nation’s largest administrator of scholarship programs, will also manage the distribution of scholarships to applicants on behalf of nearly all Alliance scholarship providers.
“We have been very pleased to be an active partner from the beginning of this effort to ensure that the children and spouses of the victims of September 11th have access to a ‘one-stop shop’ for all the scholarships for which they may be eligible,” said William C. Nelsen, president of CSFA. “The Alliance has turned what could have been a very complicated and frustrating process for these families into something much more manageable.”
The Alliance also is collaborating to coordinate communications to families and reach out to other scholarship funds. “Hopefully, over time, any entity that is providing scholarships to the families of the victims of September 11th will be connected to the Alliance in some way,” Mr. Raymond said.
CSFA has been working with government agencies, charitable organizations, companies and educational institutions to get scholarship information to all eligible families. CSFA also has endeavored to reach out to eligible students currently enrolled in postsecondary institutions by sending scholarship information to colleges, universities and vocational schools throughout America.
BASIC FACTS:
To date, information packets have been sent to more than 1,600 families.
Nearly 1,400 individuals have been officially registered.
All eligible families are urged to call toll-free 1-877-862-0136 to initiate the registration process.
The Alliance welcomes additional organizations that have established scholarship funds for September 11th families.
CSFA will provide information annually for approximately the next 25 years to all eligible families to remind them of the ongoing financial support for postsecondary education, whether they have children in school now or children just being born.
ALLIANCE MEMBERS PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING INCLUDE:
Children’s Aid Society
Citigroup Foundation/Citigroup Relief Fund
Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation of AmericaSM/Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund
Institute for International Education/USFreightways Corporation/911 Armed Forces Scholarship Fund
International Youth Foundation/Nokia Education Fund
Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation/American Heroes Fund
Power America Fund/Entergy
ALLIANCE MEMBERS SERVING AS ADVISERS INCLUDE:
American Jewish World Service
Educational Testing Services
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation/Bridge to Tomorrow Fund
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
Pace University
Safe Horizon
September 11, 2001 Children’s Fund
September 11th Fund
Silver Shield Foundation
Twin Towers Fund
United Negro College Fund
For additional information about the Alliance, please contact Barbara Arnold (S11SA/CSFA) at 952-830-7308 or barnold@csfa.org or Christina Pretto (Citigroup) at 212-793-8217 or prettoc@citi.com.
Posted April 22, 2002, on the NASFAA Web Site
