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May 22-28, 2020 Facebook @FloridaCatholic
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Graduating eighth graders from St. Joan of Arc School received yard signs delivered by teachers through caravan May 2.(COURTESY)
Bishop endorses scholarships for Catholic schools
CECILIA PADILLA
of the Florida Catholic staff
PALM BEACH GARDENS On May 12, 2020 Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito released a special video message on behalf of the Diocese of Palm Beach endorsing the in- creased scholarship assistance of- fered to Catholic school families through Step Up for Students. Step Up for Students is a state- approved nonprofit scholarship organization whose mission is to empower parents to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children, with an emphasis on families who lack the information and financial resources to access these options." In his video message, Bishop Bar- barito addressed the importance of Catholic education and how Step Up for Students can assist families in affording tuition through three major scholarship funds: the Flori- da Tax Credit Scholarship, the Fam- ily Empowerment Scholarship and the Gardiner Scholarship. The Florida Tax Credit Scholar- ship and the Family Empower-
To learn more about Step Up for Students or to apply for scholarship assistance, visit stepupforstudents. org/catholic. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. Scholarships are awarded with priority given to renewal families followed by new families with the greatest financial need. For more information, call 1-877-735-7837 or email info@stepupforstudents. org with questions regarding ap- plication steps and requirements.
STEP-UP FYI
Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito speaks about Step-Up for Students in a video available by clicking the inset play icon. .
CONGRATS GRADS
scholarship money toward a com- bination of approved programs and providers that best meet their chil- dren's unique learning needs. As the episcopal moderator for the Catholic Education Committee of the Florida Conference of Catho- lic Bishops, Bishop Barbarito has been working closely with Lauren May, manager of Catholic School Initiatives, Advocacy and Civic En- gagement for Step Up For Students, and the diocesan Office of Catho- lic Schools to ensure that families and students continue to receive assistance or have access to new assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an email to the Florida Catho- lic, May wrote, "Step Up For Stu- dents is committed to working with our Catholic schools so that as many families as possible have ac- cess to a high-quality, well-rounded education that you will find only at a Catholic school. I know this is a scary time for many, but we are here to help. If your family qualifies for a scholarship, I encourage you to ap- ply because the impact of a Catho- lic education could change your child's future for the better." On May 4, 2020, the principals from the 17 diocesan Catholic schools were invited to attend a Zoom meeting hosted by Step Up for Students and the Florida Catho- lic Council, an agency of the Florida Council of Catholic Bishops that un- dertakes collaborative educational and pastoral activities. Gary Gelo, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Palm Beach, at- tended the meeting and relayed to the Florida Catholic that, "Step Up for Students continues to allow for changes in family financial cir- cumstances regarding applications for state scholarships. The current marketing strategies are promoting this to families already enrolled in our Catholic schools, as well as po- tential new enrollment." Since 2001, more than 784,000 scholarships have been provided on an income-based scale to Florida students in grades K-12. Step Up for Students manages multiple schol- arship programs offering tuition assistance to more than 100,000 students on the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship, nearly 18,000 on the Family Empowerment Scholar- ship and more than 13,000 on the Gardiner Scholarship for students with special needs. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program remains the organization's larg- est program and is also the largest scholarship program of its kind in the nation. I ask you to consider applying for these scholarships for your students," said Bishop Barbarito in his video statement. "We are grateful that these are available, and we want to make the best use of them."
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ment Scholarship are available on an income-based need. These give students the option to find the best schools that meet their K-12 learn- ing needs. The Gardiner Scholarship assists Florida families in customizing education for their children-ages 3 through 22-with certain special needs. The scholarship covers 17 diagnoses, including autism spec- trum disorder, hearing and visual impairment, anaphylaxis and trau- matic brain injury. Parents can use
Step Up For Students is committed to working with our Catholic schools so that as many families as possible have access to a high-quality, well- rounded education that you will find only at a Catholic school.'
- Lauren May
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