Harrisburg, PA – As Chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), Lieutenant Governor Austin A. Davis announced the availability of $1.3 million to support at-risk students in Pennsylvania with a real opportunity to pursue their higher education and career goals through the First Chance Trust Fund Grant Program. Eligible school districts and community-based organizations are encouraged to apply now.
"Every Pennsylvania child should have the freedom to chart their own course, whether that means attending college or a trade school or starting their own business, and financial considerations shouldn't hold them back," said Lt. Gov. Davis. "Through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, we're providing an opportunity for schools and local organizations to apply for new funding to support at-risk students with scholarships and other programs that will help them pursue their dreams."
The First Chance Trust Fund was established within PCCD by Act 44 of 2017 to create a scholarship program for students or provide grants to programs that benefit children in regions of the Commonwealth that have statistically higher high school dropout rates, incarceration rates, or high crime rates. PCCD has opened the 30-day application window with a Letter of Intent process, which can be found on the First Chance Trust Fund (pa.gov) webpage. Eligibility can be found in the appendix section of the Letter of Intent.
PCCD expects to fund several organizations for an up-to-$300,000 budget over a multi-year project period. The funding will provide direct financial support to eligible students via scholarships to support tuition and/or associated expenses with attending post-secondary institution or other vocational training, starting a business, and/or launching a career.
Pennsylvanians can make private donations to support the fund, if interested, by visiting the First Chance Trust Fund Program page on the PCCD website.
Letters of Intent from eligible applicants will be accepted until Thursday, June 1, 2023 through PCCD's Survey Monkey application process. Questions about the program can be directed to RA-PCCDPressOffice@pa.gov. Awards are expected to be announced no later than July 2023.
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