A $5 million federal grant will be used, in part, to support college access services for students at Frankford High School.
The Department of Education earmarked the money to the Philadelphia Education Fund, which has already been readying students for college at Bartram, Olney, Roxborough, Furness and Kensington CAPA high schools.
Thanks to the additional money, Frankford becomes the sixth school where the Philadelphia Education Fund will provide college access services.
About 1,800 students will benefit annually at those schools.
At Frankford, two PEF staffers will work with students.
Students are supported with one-on-one advising, college readiness workshops, recruiter sessions and college visits. After high school graduation, students who participated in the program are eligible to apply for PEF’s Philadelphia Scholars Last Dollar Scholarship that closes the gap between financial aid and the actual cost of college attendance.
Among those at last week’s announcement at Frankford were state Sen. Tina Tartaglione; state Rep. Jason Dawkins, a 2002 Frankford graduate; Tia Watson, an aide to U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. and a 1999 Frankford graduate; William Hite, superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia; Michael Calderone, principal of Frankford; and Farah Jimenez, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Education Fund, who read remarks from U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle.
“Students, please take advantage of this assistance,” Tartaglione said. ••
