CATHOLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION FUNDS $12.7 MILLION IN 2014 FOR TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR 9,700 STUDENTS

April 8, 2015  |  By: newsroom  |  Press Releases  |  

The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) announced that it contributed $12.7 million in 2014 to help fund the Catholic educations of 9,700 students from families living at or below the poverty line. CEF is committed to providing tuition assistance to financially deserving students attending the more than 200 Catholic elementary and high schools within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Students receiving CEF assistance have a graduation rate of 98 percent and a college attendance rate of 98 percent.

CEF was established with the goal of making Catholic education, promoting academic excellence, college readiness and character formation, a possibility for children from low-income families in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. CEF funded Catholic education for more students in the past two years than it ever has since its founding in 1987.

Former CEF Tuition Assistance Award recipient, Alex Chacon is currently Principal of St. Monica Catholic High School. He leveraged CEF tuition assistance to graduate Bishop Mora Salesian High School in 1994. Throughout the course of his career, Mr. Chacon has served as a teacher, administrator and coach at Bishop Mora Salesian High School and Development Officer for Loyola Marymount University and Caltech. Coming full circle, Mr. Chacon has accepted the post of Principal at his alma mater, Bishop Mora Salesian High School, beginning this summer.

“My academic experience would not have been possible without the support my parents received from CEF,” said Mr. Chacon. “CEF is transforming our schools by making Catholic education affordable for anyone who would otherwise not be able to make it work. Thanks to CEF, Catholic education continues to be a realized dream for our students, just like it was for me.”

CEF recently recognized 2014 milestone benefactors and donors who passed away during the year at its annual Donor Appreciation Dinner where Mr. Chacon and Kathleen Ash, Executive Director, Catholic Education Foundation, were speakers. The event celebrated the commitment and generosity of donors and honored those who provided consistent support for ten and five years.

“CEF is truly a labor of love for our supporters, staff and me, because we believe that a catholic education provides an advantage for life, said Ms. Ash. “As we look ahead we will focus on the educational lifecycle of our students by funding programs which support CEF students from start to finish.”

About Catholic Education Foundation

The Catholic Education Foundation provides tuition awards for financially deserving children in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles so they can attend a Catholic elementary and high schools. Regardless of their ethnic or religious background, tuition assistance is provided to children whose families live at or below the federal poverty level. These tuition awards allow students to attend a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which encompasses Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. To learn more visit www.cefdn.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter and use #cefgives to join the conversation.

NOTE TO MEDIA: For attached photos please credit, Catholic Education Foundation / John Dlugolecki

PHOTO ONE: (left to right) Tim Smith, President, CEF Board of Trustees; Kathleen Ash, CEF Executive Director; Archbishop José H. Gomez; and Alex Chacon at the CEF Donor Appreciation Dinner.

PHOTO TWO: Kathleen Ash, CEF Executive Director, greeting students from St. Genevieve High School.