The Purpose

The U.S. education system is failing many of our most disadvantaged students who are striving to do better.

The purpose of the IA Capital Scholarship Fund is to expand educational opportunities by providing scholarships to individuals and families in need so their children can attend schools and obtain the training that best meets their needs, regardless of their ability to pay or where they live.

Our scholarships provide the tools and opportunities needed to succeed. We empower families with both the financial resources and the information they need to choose the right school for their children. One hundred percent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding scholarships.

“We invest where our resources and expertise will have the most significant long-term impact and work hand-in-hand with the staff and boards of the programs we support.”

A LACK OF PROFICIENCY
Despite improvements in reading scores over the past decade, 80 percent of all fourth-graders from low-income families are reading below proficient levels. This is especially troubling since studies have shown that children who are proficient in reading by the end of third grade are more likely to graduate from high school and have higher earnings as adults. [Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation, January 2014]

FALLING BEHIND OTHER COUNTRIES
The U.S. continues to fall behind other countries in international rankings. In 2012, the U.S. came in at 11th in fourth-grade math, ninth in eighth-grade math, seventh in fourth-grade science, and 10th in eighth-grade science. [Source: TIMSS Results, December 2012]

SLIPPING IN THE RANKS
15-year-olds in the U.S. rank 17th in reading, 23rd in math, and 21st in science compared to students in other industrialized countries. [Source: 2012 PISA Results, Released December 2013]

ONLY ONE IN FOUR READY FOR COLLEGE
Despite an annual public investment of nearly $20,000 per student, only one in four high school students in New York City is ready for college after four years and fewer than half actually enroll. [Source: NYC Dept. of Education, November 2013]

ONE IN FOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DROPS OUT
Nationwide, one out of every four high school students drops out each year – and the numbers are higher for African-American and Latino students. [Source: Education Week, May 2013]

A FUTURE OF UNEMPLOYMENT
High school dropouts are three times more likely to be unemployed and more than twice as likely to live in poverty as high school graduates. [Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2014]

ON THEIR WAY TO A BACHELOR’S DEGREE
Students who complete an education curriculum in middle school are twice as likely as to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher by their mid-twenties (52 percent versus 26 percent) than their peers in public school. [Source: U.S. Department of Education’s Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. 2002]

SCHOLARSHIPS INCREASE COLLEGE ATTENDANCE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS
In 2012, a Brookings/Harvard study found that African-American students in New York who won and used a scholarship to attend school starting in Kindergarten were 24 percent more likely to attend college than those who applied but failed to win a scholarship. [Source: Matthew M. Chingos and Paul E. Peterson Study, “The Effects of School Vouchers on College Enrollment“]

IMPROVING THE ODDS FOR LOW-INCOME CHILDREN
Low-income children who attend school are almost four times as likely to go to college. [Source: U.S. Department of Education’s Private Schools: A Brief Portrait. 2002]