Wright National Flood presented Step Up For Students with a $1 million check. The contribution will provide scholarships for lower-income Florida schoolchildren to be able to attend the K-12 participating school of their choice. Wright National Flood representatives (back row, from left to right) Lagaysheya Smith, Michael Giovanniello, Patty Templeton-Jones, Dawn Forrest and Eddie Curren are joined by (back row, far right) Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill. A few Step Up scholarship recipients from Tampa Bay area schools participated in the presentation.
Wright Flood, the largest provider of federal flood insurance policies in the U.S., recently announced a $1 million contribution to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The donation will fund 153 K-12 scholarships for the 2017-18 school year, so lower-income children can attend the school that best meets their learning needs.
Since first partnering with Step Up For Students in 2008, Wright Flood has contributed $3,850,000, providing 670 scholarships.
“We are proud of the impact we’ve had on students in our home state of Florida through our contributions to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program,” said Patty Templeton-Jones, president of Wright Flood. “It’s a privilege to have formed this partnership to help Florida youth reach for their dreams.”
Step Up For Students helps administer the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, which allows recipients to choose between a scholarship that helps with private school tuition and fees, or one that assists with transportation costs to out-of-county public schools. The program is funded by corporations through dollar-for-dollar tax credited donations.
“Thanks to Wright Flood, more schoolchildren will have the opportunity to attend the school that fits the way they learn, regardless of where they live or their parents’ income,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students. “On behalf of Step Up and the families we serve, we thank Wright Flood for their generosity and their commitment to support our mission.”
For the 2017-18 school year, Step Up For Students is serving more than 101,000 students throughout Florida with tuition scholarships valued at up to $6,343 per student for K through fifth grade, $6,631 for sixth through eighth grade and $6,920 for ninth through 12th grade. More than 1,800 private schools participate in the scholarship program statewide.
About Wright Flood
Wright Flood provides federal flood insurance, excess flood coverage, private flood coverage and leading industry expertise, earning an A- (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best. As the largest provider of federal flood insurance in the U.S., Wright Flood takes pride in user-friendly technology, exceptional claims reputation and providing the service clients deserve. Agents and policyholders may visit us at wrightflood.com.
About Step Up For Students
Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization that helps administer the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. Students who qualify for the national free or reduced-price lunch, or those who are homeless or in foster or out-of-home care, may qualify. The scholarship program provides tuition assistance to the private school of their parents’ choice or financial assistance to offset the transportation cost to an out-of-district public school. Since 2001, Step Up has awarded more than 680,000 scholarships.
A first-of-its-kind study on the long-term effects of the scholarship program by The Urban Institute found that students who use the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship four or more years are up to 43 percent more likely to go to college and up to 29 percent more likely to earn an associate’s degree than their peers.
Step Up also helps administer the state-funded Gardiner Scholarship for Florida students with certain special needs. With the Gardiner Scholarship, recipients may use the funds for a variety of approved services including private tutoring, occupational therapy, instructional materials and other services.
For more information, visit StepUpForStudents.org.
