Changes to the BISON Scholarship Fund could positively impact parents who send their children to Catholic schools throughout Western New York, including Annunciation School in Elma. Located at 7580 Clinton St., Annunciation offers academic programs for students in Pre-K through Grade 8 and serves the following school districts: Alden, Alexander, Attica, East Aurora, Cheektowaga, Depew, Iroquois, Lancaster, Orchard Park and West Seneca.
The following letter to eligible Catholic school families from the BISON Scholarship Fund explains changes to the program, which is now open to all residents residing in the eight counties of Western New York. Previously, funding was available only to residents of Buffalo and its first-ring suburbs.
The BISON Scholarship Fund is very pleased to announce that our organization is expanding to all eight counties of Western New York for the upcoming 2011-2012 school year. Currently, eligibility for the program includes residing in the city of Buffalo, Lackawanna, Cheektowaga, West Seneca, Amherst (14226), Kenmore and the Town of Tonawanda. We now will cover all zip codes in all eight counties. This expansion is because of a new partnership with the Diocese of Buffalo, who will no longer operate the Catholic School Tuition Assistance Program (CTAP) – instead giving the funds for that program to BISON to provide greater tuition assistance to more children.
What does this mean for you?
• If you currently receive the BISON Fund, nothing changes. Please make sure you completed and submitted your re-qualification paperwork that was due May 6.
• If you are currently only in the CTAP program – you will now be a BISON Fund recipient. Please make sure your re-qualification paperwork that was due May 6 is submitted. There are no addition forms for you to submit at this time.
• If you receive both BISON and CTAP – you will no longer receive CTAP next school year. Your award will now be calculated on your adjusted gross income, household size and tuition you are being charged. Please make sure you have submitted your re-qualification paperwork that was due May 6.
• If you don’t receive assistance from either program, but applied for BISON or CTAP already for consideration in this upcoming school year – you don’t need to do anything. Your application is at BISON and will be considered in the upcoming lottery drawing.
• If you do not receive tuition assistance from either of these programs and didn’t apply to either, the deadline has been extended for new applications until June 1. You can ask for a BISON Fund application or visit our website at www.bisonfund.com to download a copy of the application.
If you have questions or need more information, please call the BISON office at 1-888-216-8380. We recognize that for some families there will be changes in your upcoming tuition assistance award. BISON staff is here to answer your questions, and assist in any way that we can as you prepare for next school year.
Time is of the essence! Our application process (for new applicants) is open until June 1 (postmarked by that date). After that time we hold a lottery drawing to select our recipients. We have funds to help children – we don’t want you to miss this opportunity.
BISON is very excited about this wonderful opportunity to provide needed tuition assistance to many more families in Western New York.
For more information or to arrange a tour of Annunciation School, please call 681-1327 or visit www.annunciationschoolelma.com.
