Thursday, November 22, 2012

Say Yes to Education Buffalo brings relief

By Dayna Francis and Tyeisha Prior
BengalNews Reporters 
The stress of figuring out how to pay for college can become an expensive burden for high school students and parents. 
According to the National Center for Education Statistics website for 2010-2011, the average cost of attendance for first and full time students living on campus and paying in-state tuition was $20,000 at a four year public institution. It was $39,800 at a private non-profit four year institution.
The City of Buffalo has implemented a program called Say Yes to Education Buffalo in hopes to alleviate and reduce financial stresses for students wanting to further their education after high school.
According to the Say Yes to Education Buffalo website, Buffalo is the second chapter along with Syracuse to cover an entire school district.
The program has recently been launched in numerous schools across Buffalo. Support for students can start as early as kindergarten and continue throughout high school and college.
Naomi Cerre, principal of P.S. 204 Lafayette High School at 370 Lafayette Ave., said that it is a great opportunity for students who wouldn’t or thought that they didn’t have a chance to attend college.
“Say Yes offers an opportunity for our Buffalo students to see themselves as college students and to see that they can have a journey to college, and really survive without the stress of finances,” Cerre said.
            Students and parents have also shown enthusiasm for the program through a grand kick-off celebration held by Lafayette High School two weeks ago. The school held a reception for parents and students with a representative from Say Yes Buffalo to answer questions about the college process.


Principal Naomi Cerre on how Say Yes gives students hope to have a future without worrying about tuition costs:


Say  Yes Buffalo has also created schoalrships and grants pertaining to specific colleges around the Buffalo area. Students must meet specific criteria to become eligible for aid.
One of the grants, called the Private College Grant, has a number of participating colleges such as D’Youville College. Participating colleges have agreed to cover any tuition besides what is covered through Pell and Tap grants for Say Yes scholars that have a family income of $75,000 or less.  Students must also complete grades 9-12 at a Buffalo public or charter school to be eligible.
The grant will also provide up to $5,000 per year based on other financial awards received and the cost of full time tuition.
The Say Yes Buffalo Tuition Scholarship covers only tuition fees. It is determined by how long a student has been attending a Buffalo public or charter school. If you begin from kindergarten, 100 percent of your tuition will be covered, and decreasing in percent from which grade you start off in with the Say Yes Buffalo program.
While the program is free, students must be aware that they still need to achieve high standards when it comes to academics.
“Kids can’t just assume that I just can’t do the work,” said Cerre. “They have to do the work and meet criteria, requirements, and expectations.” Edited by Shari Ingles

1 comment:

  1. Lafayette High School not only supports the “Say Yes to Education” program and informs their students about it, but they also work closely with Say Yes to offer insight on the particular needs of their students in Lafayette High School. Unlike many schools on Buffalo’s West Side, Lafayette High School has 75 percent international students and offers 41 different languages. Principal Naomi Cerre meets with Say Yes to Education representatives daily to explain the particular needs of her students, being that her high school differs from other high schools. Principal Cerre and Say Yes teamed up to create different enrichment programs that will help support her students.-- Dayna Francis and Tyiesha Prior

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