Next monthly meeting will be Tuesday, August 1st. Enjoy your 4th of July week! 

Because students who have lived in the United States their entire lives sometimes are labeled as "international students" during the college admissions process. This causes students who have gone through the entire school system with your children to have to pay as much as 5 times the "in-county" or "in-state" tuition rate. Not only do they have to pay more, they also do not have access to Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA) or most scholarships, making higher education inaccessible to these students. 

This is one of the main reason we, as an organization, started the Scholarship Fund (more info below). We wanted to help our local undocumented students to continue their education. This year, thanks to your generous support, 23 undocumented students received a total of $30,550 in scholarship money. Some of these students go to college part time, work third shift, some work 2 jobs, while juggling family responsibilities, to be able to pay for the difference in tuition, books, and other fees. This oftentimes makes them take double as long to accomplish an associate or bachelor's degree. We need your voice, call your representatives and tell them to support the HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION FAIRNESS ACT. 

The GRIP DREAMer Scholarship is for students whose immigration status (or lack thereof) does not let them get student loans or grants. By donating, you will be helping a student like the De Factos reach their dream of higher education. Any little bit counts. Make your tax-deductible donation to:

Berks County Community Foundation,

237 Court Street

Reading, PA 19601

Att: GRIP DREAMer Scholarship

or donate online by clicking here! Thank you!