Allegheny County families can redeem an additional bonus when enrolling in the Pennsylvania Treasury Department’s childhood education investment accounts.
Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization Neighborhood Allies is partnering with the state to provide $25 scholarships to new enrollees in the state’s Fund My Future PGH program.
The $25 bonus available to Allegheny County families would be in addition to the $100 scholarship offered by the state for enrolling in the program.
“Nationally, participation in higher education investment accounts is relatively low, particularly among low- to moderate-income families, which underscores the importance of programs like this,” Talia DePasquale, senior communications director for Neighborhood Allies, told TribLive. “We see that many families are either unaware of programs like Keystone Scholars or face barriers to getting started, even when initial funding is available.”
Since 2019, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department’s Keystone Scholars program has provided $100 scholarships to every child born in the state to be used on post-high school educational expenses. The scholarships are invested by the department in PA 520 College and Career Savings Program accounts and are available to children after they turn 18.
In order to qualify for the $25 bonus, families must have a child born between Jan. 1, 2019 and Dec. 13, 2025, have at least one guardian residing in Allegheny County and enroll in Fund My Future PGH to redeem the award before July 31.