- Credibility:
PILSEN — The Resurrection Project will host a workshop to help families with an online application for the state’s Invest in Kids Scholarship program in Pilsen Tuesday morning
The workshop will take place at La Casa Resource Center, 1815 S. Paulina St., from 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The nonprofit will help families fill out the scholarship application, which aims to bring financial assistance to families with children enrolled, or looking to enroll, in a qualified Catholic or private school.
The scholarship considers family income and is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The deadline for the scholarship application is Tuesday.
Families of four who make $45,510 or less annually —185 percent of the federal poverty level — get priority for the scholarship.
The $75 million program, supported by tax dollars, was approved by lawmakers in 2017. It’s been criticized for diverting money away from public schools, and newly-inaugurated Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on the campaign trail he wants to end the program.
In order to fill out the application, a parent or guardian must provide proof of household address, proof of income, number of occupants in a household and student information.
Father Brendan Curran, an organizer at the Resurrection Project who is working to spread awareness about the scholarship, said trained workers will be on hand to help fill out the scholarship application.
“The goal of this law is to invest in kids, so that families have another choice in their child’s education …and so there is no financial barrier,” Curran said.
Last year, the scholarship grant organizations participating in the program issued scholarships to 6,000 students across the state towards their private education. Thousands more were on the waiting list, Curran said.
The list does not carry over to this year, meaning families need to reapply.
Some of the Catholic Schools approved to accept the scholarship funding through the state program include St. Procopius School, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, St. Ann School, San Miguel School, Our Lady of Tepeyac Elementary School and High School and Epiphany School.
Funds for the scholarship will go towards the 2019-2020 academic year.
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