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Pittsburgh Promise Night November 12, 2008 Summary of Event: PURE Reform attended the Pittsburgh Promise Night at University Prep School on Wednesday, 11/12. The meeting was run by Saleem Ghubril, director of the Pittsburgh Promise. The meeting was started with a short film highlighting various Promise supporters, the superintendent and several students from the PPS that the Promise will benefit. A student that graduated from Brashear that now attends CCAC commented on how she would not have attended college without the Promise funds. There was a review of the population decline in the City of Pittsburgh and of the decline in PPS enrollment as an explanation of one of the goals of the Promise: to retain students in the PPS and in the city in general. It was explained that Promise funds are intended to be “last dollar,” so that all federal, state and school based scholarships/aid is first determined and then Promise funds are allocated. A power point chart showing school scholarships allocated before Promise funds was presented. When asked by PURE Reform if schools could actually decrease the amount of scholarship money for a student based on the fact that the student is from Pittsburgh Public Schools and will receive Promise money, Mr. Ghubril stated that this is a possibility and is something the Pittsburgh Promise cannot fully control. He noted however that he will be meeting next week with financial officers from several different higher education institutions to discuss this scenario and seek to obtain the cooperation of schools in how Promise funds are allocated. Mr. Ghubril went on to state that for the current year the Promise has already received pledges for $6.5 million (about half of the $15 million goal by June) and hopes to have $11.5 million by January. The $15 million goal by June is important because UPMC’s yearly challenge grant of $10 million is contingent on raising $15 million per year from other sources. He also announced a fundraising drive that aims to have 100,000 people contribute $50-100, and he asked for “Neighborhood Captains” to help organize this effort. When asked by PURE Reform what will happen to the matching funds promised by UPMC if the goal of $15 million by June is not reached, Mr. Ghubril stated that the Promise will receive a percentage of the matching funds that correlates to the money raised, and that he is determined to meet the $15 million goal. Other questions were whether Promise funds are taxable to students or their families (Mr. Ghubril stated that the funds are not taxable) and why, within Allegheny County, the Promise can be used for both public and private colleges, while outside of Allegheny County the Promise can be used for public but not private colleges (Mr. Ghubril did not know why this is the case). After the meeting Mr. Ghubil confirmed that the Pittsburgh Foundation does not receive a fee for managing the Pittsburgh Promise.

Pittsburgh Promise Night

November 12, 2008

Summary of Event:

PURE Reform attended the Pittsburgh Promise Night at University Prep School on Wednesday, 11/12. The meeting was run by Saleem Ghubril, director of the Pittsburgh Promise. The meeting was started with a short film highlighting various Promise supporters, the superintendent and several students from the PPS that the Promise will benefit. A student that graduated from Brashear that now attends CCAC commented on how she would not have attended college without the Promise funds.

There was a review of the population decline in the City of Pittsburgh and of the decline in PPS enrollment as an explanation of one of the goals of the Promise: to retain students in the PPS and in the city in general. It was explained that Promise funds are intended to be “last dollar,” so that all federal, state and school based scholarships/aid is first determined and then Promise funds are allocated. A power point chart showing school scholarships allocated before Promise funds was presented. When asked by PURE Reform if schools could actually decrease the amount of scholarship money for a student based on the fact that the student is from Pittsburgh Public Schools and will receive Promise money, Mr. Ghubril stated that this is a possibility and is something the Pittsburgh Promise cannot fully control. He noted however that he will be meeting next week with financial officers from several different higher education institutions to discuss this scenario and seek to obtain the cooperation of schools in how Promise funds are allocated.

Mr. Ghubril went on to state that for the current year the Promise has already received pledges for $6.5 million (about half of the $15 million goal by June) and hopes to have $11.5 million by January. The $15 million goal by June is important because UPMC’s yearly challenge grant of $10 million is contingent on raising $15 million per year from other sources. He also announced a fundraising drive that aims to have 100,000 people contribute $50-100, and he asked for “Neighborhood Captains” to help organize this effort. When asked by PURE Reform what will happen to the matching funds promised by UPMC if the goal of $15 million by June is not reached, Mr. Ghubril stated that the Promise will receive a percentage of the matching funds that correlates to the money raised, and that he is determined to meet the $15 million goal.

Other questions were whether Promise funds are taxable to students or their families (Mr. Ghubril stated that the funds are not taxable) and why, within Allegheny County, the Promise can be used for both public and private colleges, while outside of Allegheny County the Promise can be used for public but not private colleges (Mr. Ghubril did not know why this is the case). After the meeting Mr. Ghubil confirmed that the Pittsburgh Foundation does not receive a fee for managing the Pittsburgh Promise.