By Kathryn Hickok
Do you believe parents should have the freedom to choose the best school for their child?
The right school can change a child’s future, and every family should have the opportunity to choose the learning environment where their child can thrive. For more than three decades, Cascade Policy Institute has worked to advance educational freedom in Oregon because parents, not government bureaucracies, should be “in the driver’s seat” when it comes to their children’s education.
And for 27 years, Cascade has done more than advocate for school choice. Since 1999 nearly one thousand Oregon children have enjoyed the opportunity to attend private grade schools and home schools with tuition assistance through Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program.
Funded entirely by private, charitable contributions, CSF-Oregon provides need-based, partial scholarships to lower-income Oregon children so they can attend tuition-based schools that best meet their academic and personal needs. CSF-Oregon scholarships are a partnership with parents: Every CSF family contributes toward their own tuition, and CSF-Oregon helps to close the financial gap.
The average CSF-Oregon scholarship is about $2,000. For a family trying to make tuition work, that amount can be the difference between having access to a quality education and having no choice at all. This fall, about 115 elementary students across Oregon will begin the school year with a scholarship from CSF-Oregon.
The impact of a scholarship reaches far beyond the classroom. It can open doors to new opportunities, restore confidence, strengthen families, and give children the chance to learn in an environment where they are encouraged to succeed.
Every day, parents make important decisions about their children’s futures. But when the right school for their child is financially out of reach, too many families are left without meaningful options. When parents can choose their child’s school, then children can thrive. Thanks to the generous donors who make this program possible, CSF-Oregon has been a “hand up” for Oregon children whose futures are brighter because of educational opportunity.
If you would like to give more Oregon children the gift of school choice, you can support Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program with a secure online gift at https://cascadepolicy.org/make-a-donation/. Enter “CSF-Oregon” in the “Add a note/comment” box to allocate your gift to this program. 100% of your gift will go directly to scholarships.
Kathryn Hickok is Executive Vice President at Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon’s free market public policy research organization, and Director of Cascade’s Children’s Scholarship Fund-Oregon program. She specializes in research and policy in school choice legislation and other key issues relating to education.
