Grants for girls from single-parent households

Posted by on May 20, 2005

The Charles Ellis Trust provides grants to girls from single parent families in need of aid to complete their high school education. The money is spent on programs in pre-college preparation, music, theater, sports and a host of other opportunities for girls in Philadelphia public schools.

Students must meet the following guidelines to be eligible for assistance from the Ellis Trust:

* Girls who reside in Philadelphia
* Live in a household where one or both parents are absent or mentally or physically impaired (functionally orphaned). Married Guardians (aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings) must still meet the income guidelines.
* Families with fully functioning step-parents (not disabled) are not considered functionally orphaned.
* Be enrolled in grades 9 – 12 (including the summer before 9th grade but not the summer after 12th grade)
* Continue to make academic progress toward timely graduation
* Meet the income eligibility for the reduced lunch program

If you are working with a girl who attends a public high school, we are currently considering applications for summer programs, such as:
* Arts, Music & Dance classes (for example, Settlement, Moore CAD, UArts, etc…)
* Summer Programs at Colleges (see the Teen Philly Resource Guide at
<a href="http://www.wwscholars.org/guide">http://www.wwscholars.org/guide</a> for ideas!)
* Camps and Conferences (Sports, Academic, Leadership, etc…)
* Other summer programs that provide enrichment and motivation for girls in high school.

If you know of a high school girl who would benefit from funding through the Ellis Trust, download an application at <a href="http://www.wwscholars.org/ellis/">http://www.wwscholars.org/ellis/</a> or contact our office at 215-735-4480 x202. Students can also inquire about the Ellis Trust with their guidance counselors. Applications must be filled out completely and include proof of income. Please be aware that we do review students’ grades in order to consider the appropriateness of the request.

Please allow at least a month for applications to be processed. If a program deadline is coming up and you haven’t heard from us, please get in touch to inquire about the status of the application.