The Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers (CFTT) Board of Directors announces the awarding of tuition scholarship grants through a program sponsored by the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development called the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program.

As an approved scholarship organization CFTT has been accepting donations from local businesses who wish to obtain state tax credits to distribute to families in the Pennsylvania counties served by the CFTT. A donation of $9,000 from the First Citizens National Bank of Mansfield enabled scholarships to be given to fifteen families with a total of thirty-two (32) children. The CFTT selection committee was composed of Phil Swank of Laceyville, Nancy Schrader of Sayre and Benjamin Olney of Ulysses. Over fifty families applied for these tuition scholarship grants to help offset some of their tuition costs of sending their children to private schools.

The four private schools in Bradford and Tioga County who benefited from this program are North Rome Christian, St. Agnes Elementary, Trinity Lutheran and New Covenant Academy. This is the second year the CFTT has participated in this state program and has received a donation from First Citizens National Bank to underwrite the program. For their donation First Citizens received tax credits from the state of Pennsylvania to cover ninety percent (90%) of their donation.

The Chair of the CFTT Board of Directors, Bill Ransom, stated, “The State of Pennsylvania’s EITC Program has allowed the CFTT to assist families and schools in the Northern Tier thanks to the generosity of First Citizens National Bank. The CFTT was happy to partner with the state in this endeavor over the last two years.”

The Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers (CFTT) is a non-profit public foundation established in 2002 by a diverse group of local leaders and residents. The Foundation encourages community philanthropy to enhance the quality of life for those who reside in Bradford, Potter, Sullivan and Tioga Counties in Pennsylvania and Tioga County in New York State. It establishes endowment funds for charitable purposes from contributions of citizens, corporations, other foundations, charitable organizations and government agencies. As the endowment funds grow, it uses the interest earned on these funds to make grants to organizations or projects that serve identified community needs.

If you have an interest in learning more about the CFTT or in establishing a fund, you can contact the organization by calling (570) 888-4759, or visit www.twintierscf.org.