by Vince Anch
One of the things that makes the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas so successful is the generosity of the people it serves. This is evident in how much support Catholic ministries receive from individuals, Catholic families and Catholic-owned businesses.
Many might not know the impact that has been made by people who have donated to the Catholic Education Foundation in its 25 year history.
During this time, over 22,000 scholarships have been awarded to children needing financial assistance. These awards have totaled approximately $25 million. All of the scholarship recipients have come from families that qualify for federal assistance programs like the Free and Reduced Lunch program. This means that they qualify under or just above federal poverty guidelines. Most, if not all, would not have been able to attend a Catholic school without CEF scholarships.
CEF is currently providing over 1,741 students with scholarships totaling over $4 million. Our schools would look a lot different if these students would no longer be able to attend a Catholic school. In fact, without CEF scholarships some Catholic schools in the archdiocese would have to close.
One can only imagine the impact that this would have on families who would like their children to be able to receive a high-quality education in a safe, faith-filled environment.
CEF’s goal is to increase the number of scholarships and the amount awarded next school year. Our schools are currently accepting scholarship requests from families. Most of these scholarships will be provided by CEF through the schools.
These scholarships are not tied to academics or sports. They are simply financial assistance scholarships. Many families aren’t aware of these scholarships but could greatly benefit from them. We encourage parents to contact their schools and inquire about scholarships. Parents might be surprised by what is available to them. I hope enrollment grows again next year and for many years to come. If that is to happen, CEF will have to provide more scholarships. CEF is dedicated to raising every dollar that is needed to meet each year’s scholarship demand. We won’t quit!
CEF is a unique organization. Many dioceses around the country don’t have a CEF. This is a key reason why school enrollment in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is higher than the national average. We are very fortunate that we have so many kind Catholics in the archdiocese who make sacrifices to provide the gift of a Catholic education to children in need.
Over the next 25 years, thousands of children will need scholarships in order to attend one of our proud Catholic schools. CEF will still be here to provide these scholarships. Parents just need to ask.
