PHILADELPHIA PA, June 27 –CORE Philly Scholarships, and the Trust endowment designed to support the program, can count on future growth with support secured by all partners, Congressman Chaka Fattah and Mayor Michael Nutter declared today during the annual CORE Philly Day rally at City Hall.

The CORE Philly Sendoff to College Rally is an annual summertime celebration for the program that has provided over $21.3 million in “last dollar” scholarships for 10,100 Philadelphia high school graduates since 2004. Another 3,141 graduates in the Class of 2008 from the city’s public, charter, parochial and private high schools are headed to 21 participating Pennsylvania colleges and universities next fall with $5 million more in CORE Philly Scholarship awards.

“We’re starting our fifth year and we’re going forward,” declared Fattah, who created the program in 2003 and won initial commitments of four years’ funding through June 2008 from the City of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia.

“The partners in the deal see the worth of these CORE Philly scholarships. The entire city benefits when our young people know they can continue their education beyond high school and that their life chances are improving,” Fattah said. “I’m pleased to say there is unanimous political support of the city’s leaders to keep moving ahead.”

Mayor Nutter said CORE Philly is a vital part of the city’s effort to develop a home-grown college-trained work force to spur economic growth. He reiterated his strong support for the program.

Fattah listed major advances that account for CORE Philly’s bright future:

• Mayor Nutter and City Council have budgeted $2.5 million for the CORE Philly Scholars who will enroll in the fall. The School Reform Commission, under Chairwoman Sandra Dungee Glenn and CEO Dr. Arlene Ackerman, has committed a similar amount.
• CORE Philly Charitable Trust, the irrevocable endowment signed into existence at last year’s CORE Philly Day and administered by Glenmede Trust, now has $5 million in assets, with more commitments on the way. 
• Fattah has introduced in Congress H.R. 6352, the “Communities Committed to College Tax Credit Act,” which when enacted would provide a 50% tax credit for qualifying community trust funds for low income students bound for college – and for donors to those trust funds. CORE Philly and similar trusts in Pittsburgh and Kalamazoo, Mich., would qualify, and the legislation intends to jumpstart similar trusts and programs elsewhere on the CORE Philly model. 
• The first class of CORE Philly Scholars, who entered college in 2004, are beginning to graduate --- including Melissa Ingster, the emcee for today’s program, who has just graduated from Penn State and plans to enroll in law school in the fall. 
• City Council on June 5 unanimously approved legislation which officially acknowledges the CORE Philly Charitable Trust while recognizing CORE Philly’s accomplishments.
• An ordinance introduced in City Council June 19 would include a “check-off” box for CORE Philly contributions on city Water and Philadelphia Gas Works bills.

“CORE Philly is a four-year success story, and the future is limitless,” Fattah said. He cited data that over two-thirds of all CORE Philly scholars have stayed in school to advance their higher education goals. The retention rate for the Class of 2007 is 85.1 percent.

By guaranteeing to students that the dollars are there to continue on to college, Fattah said, CORE Philly actually operates as an incentive for students from low income and underserved backgrounds to stay in high school and graduate.

CORE Philly Scholarships are available to ALL Philadelphia high school graduates for their freshman year of college following graduation. There is no grade point, income or other requirement – only a diploma, Philadelphia residency, and acceptance at one of the 21 participating Pennsylvania institutions.

CORE Philly Scholars are eligible for up to $3,000 for a four-year institution and up to $1,000 at Community College of Philadelphia to supplement other scholarships and grants. The program is administered by Thomas Butler, executive director, with more information available at www.corephilly.org or 215-246-3513.

CORE Philly Scholars attending today’s rally were eligible for a drawing for laptop computers donated by Wireless Philadelphia.