Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit program allows businesses and individuals to make donations to scholarship organizations who in turn provide funds to students in schools whose families meet certain income requirements demonstrating financial need. On Thursday, September 22, 2022, State Senator Devlin Robinson presented a check for $17,500 to OLSH, representing additional EITC Funds awarded through the Bravo Foundation. The Bravo Foundation is a scholarship organization in Pennsylvania that works with donors through the EITC program to provide scholarship dollars to students in need.
184 OLSH students qualified for and received EITC/OSTC scholarships this school year. Several of these students had the opportunity to meet the Senator on Thursday, and they shared their appreciation for this program with him. Senator Robinson connected with the students, sharing his experience growing up in the City of Pittsburgh and attending Catholic high school, having to take two PAT buses to get to school. The 60 students residing in the City of Pittsburgh who attend OLSH are blessed to have school bus transportation to get to and from OLSH each day.
Senator Robinson serves on the Community, Economic, & Recreational Development committee which recently worked to expand EITC program funding. In July, it was announced that an additional $125 million would be included in the state budget for the program, the largest increase in the program’s history. The increase will result in the ability to provide scholarships to additional PA students, as well as increase the amount of scholarship dollars awarded.
During his visit to OLSH, Senator Robinson took a tour of the school, and learned about the various resources OLSH has in place to meet students where they are. With support staff from the Allegheny Intermediate Unit and OLSH programs like the OLSH Writing & Learning (OWL) Center, students can receive the support they need, giving opportunities for students, who come to OLSH from over 30 different public school districts, to reach their full potential.
“The state’s EITC Program is an essential element in our school’s tuition assistance fundraising efforts,” explained OLSH VP for Advancement, Cheryl Karashin. “The win-win opportunity for local businesses and individuals has helped us to develop important partnerships. EITC/OSTC donors have made it possible for us to offer generous financial aid packages to students who desire an OLSH education, but whose families’ financial circumstances are an obstacle to that goal.” Karashin appreciated the opportunity to share the positive impact of the program with Senator Robinson, and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with other state legislators at the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast on Friday, September 23.