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Ahead With Education – FAQ’s
GOAL: To contribute to the educational goals of economically challenged students in Rio Bravo, Mexico, equipping them to be productive members of their community.
HOW TO BECOME A SPONSOR:
Complete the Sponsor Covenant form:
AWE Sponsor Covenant.docx and submit it to AWE. Please print, complete and return to Ahead With Education by email at, aheadwitheducation@gmail.com – or mail directly to AWE, Sponsor Relations, 200 Turkey Creek Dr., Ponca City, OK 74604
STUDENT SCHOLORSHIP AWARDS:
Potential scholarship recipients must apply. Applying does not mean they will receive a scholarship. Applications received prior to April 1st are reviewed by AWE for the upcoming school year that begins in August. Scholarship awards are made by mid-July.
CAN I NOMINATE A STUDENT?
Contact information for the family is provided to the Program Coordinator. Family Contact Form is available for this purpose. It can be printed from this site or a Mission Team Leader. The Program Coordinator will interview the family, collecting additional information with regards to need, school performance and general family data. An application will be provided during the interview. It will be up to the family to complete the application and agree to support their child in reaching their educational goals. Applications are reviewed within a pool of applicants between April 15th and July 1st of each year. Applying does not guarantee a scholarship will be rewarded to the nominee.
Once students are accepted into the scholarship program, AWE is committed to supporting the students from grade school through college diploma. The student must meet grade and attendance requirements. AWE fulfills this commitment even if the original sponsor no longer provides support for the student
All children deserve an opportunity to receive an education. AWE feels your passion to provide an education to the children you meet and commits to supporting a child through their entire education, with the hope their sponsor will make the same commitment to them. That being said, Sponsors are not limited to the number of children they commit to sponsor.
MONEY MATTERS:
AWE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, EIN 45-3298400. Contributions qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes (if, of course, the donor’s taxpayer profile allows for itemized deductions).
Relationships are critical to our objectives. Our program is based on the concept of “sponsorship” in order to encourage relationships that both (a) further the student’s sense of accountability for completing their education, and (b) deepen the donor’s sense of commitment to maintain support for a sustained period of time. Under IRS regulations, however, contributions earmarked for a specific individual are NOT tax deductible. In order to reconcile these competing objectives (promoting and encouraging student/sponsor relationships yet maintaining tax deductibility of ALL donations), we operate according to the following policy:
Sponsors are matched with students once a year by committee. Students already in AWE needing a replacement or supplemental sponsor are matched to new sponsors first. AWE can only add students when all of the existing students have sponsors.
AWE retains full control of the donated funds and discretion as to their use.
If a student withdraws from the program, contributions are not returned to the donor but are applied to assist another student accepted into the scholarship program.
Donors are asked to kindly understand the dynamics of the society in which AWE operates, and are encouraged to continue their support.
AWE seeks to apply 100% of sponsorship contributions toward student scholarships.
July 1st of each year is Contribution deadline but they can be made at any time.
Still have questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We are a band of volunteers that seek to serve as Trustees and provide leadership to the AWE program. Our email address, aheadwitheducation@gmail.com is the best and quickest way to connect, or you may send us a letter to:
200 Turkey Creek Dr, Ponca City, OK 74604