Deadline approaches for YC scholarships

Foundation offering six renewable awards to attend school

The Pasquinelli Foundation, in partnership with Yuma Catholic High School, will be offering six scholarships for incoming freshman for the 2017-2018 school year.

The $5,000 scholarships, which may be renewed up to four years provided students continue to meet requirements, are open to pupils from Yuma’s public and charter schools, Immaculate Conception, St. Francis, Southwestern Christian and Yuma Lutheran, who are planning on enrolling in Yuma Catholic. Yuma Catholic also offers scholarships based on need and on academic merit.

The upcoming school year is the fourth for which the foundation has offered the awards, said Bobbi Ukura, advancement director for YC, with an annual investment of about $115,000.

“This is a major commitment by the Pasquinelli family,” Ukura said.

About 80 percent of students at Yuma Catholic receive some type of financial aid to attend the school, said Principal Rhett Stallworth in an earlier article for the Yuma Sun. According to the YC Student Parent Handbook 2016-2017, tuition and fees for the private collegeprep school can run over $10,000 per year.

“Deacon Gary Pasquinelli and the Pasquinelli Foundation continually demonstrate their faith in Yuma Catholic High School and our students,” Stallworth said. “These scholarships enable us to serve the entire community and provide tools to help families choose YC.”

Currently, 17 students receive support through the foundation, Ukura said, and based on their success, the foundation decided to offer another round of awards for incoming freshman.

Information for the scholarships and applications can be found on the YC website at www.yumacatholic.org/enrollment/scholarships. cfm or by calling Josie Smith, finance director, at 928-317-7906.