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P.E.O. Chapter opens funding options for women in school

Members rally to support other’s education

By Amie Johansen | amie@charlescitypress.com

Providing educational opportunities and support for women is the main goal for P.E.O. Chapters across the nation. The Charles City P.E.O. Chapter CY is passionate about their ability to help women achieve their dream, unfortunately, chapter members believe they are an untapped resource.

“We want everyone to know it’s a philanthropic education organization,” Roxanne Barrigan, P.E.O. Chapter CY member, said. “In an ideal situation everyone would know PEO is an organization for education support.”

“It’s just for women, a women’s organization,” Carol Frye, P.E.O. Chapter CY member, said.

P.E.O. Chapters offers a variety of ways for women wanting to continue their education.

“There are loans, scholarships or grants,” Frye said.

According to Barrigan, Frye and P.E.O. Chapter CY member Kay Johnson, each member of the chapter is responsible for becoming an expert on one of the various the programs and funds available.

“We don’t select them,” Frye said, explaining how applicants are awarded. Instead, chapter members work with an applicant as their sponsor. The application package is then sent to P.E.O. headquarters where it is reviewed and money is awarded.

“If our nomination is approved it is out our hands,” Frye said.

Barrigan explained the scholarship process.

“The Star scholarship is for high school (students), it is very competitive,” she said. Last year, roughly 19,000 young women applied for an application. Three Charles City graduates have been award with the $2,500 scholarship. Most recently Emma Scheckler, 2016 CCHS graduate, was awarded the Star Scholarship.

Grants and scholarships are given funds and do not require being paid back. However, P.E.O. also offers a series of loans to those needing to borrow money for their education. Loan amounts vary depending on the type of education. According to Frye, the ELF — Educational Loan Fund — is broken into three tiers. The first tier is for women earning their associate or bachelor degree. The second tier loans a greater amount for those working toward their master’s and the final tier, loaning the greatest amount is women completing a doctoral program.  

“Loan amounts have increased because college has gotten more expensive,” Frye said of the monies offered to students.

Loans are given at an interest of 2 percent.

“They have 40 months to pay the loan back,” Frye said. “Revolving loan fund, they only

want that loan out there for a limited amount of time.”

This practice allows P.E.O. to keep a balance that can regularly support a large number of women looking to improve their education.

Special to Charles City is a Cleone Dunlap loan. Unlike the ELF loan which requires applicants to be within two years of completing their course of study before applying, the Cleone Dunlap loan allows women to apply for the financial aid at the beginning of their study.

When Dunlap passed away, she donated money to the chapter. The chapter assessed

where more financial aid was needed.

“What do we do for women can’t get started,” Frye asked. It was decided the funds would be used to help those women begin their education.

P.E.O. Chapter CY encourages women toying with the idea of improving their education to contact chapter members. With the large variety of financial programs, chapter members will be able to help women find the program that best fits their situation.

“If you want to go back to school, (P.E.O. funds) could be the difference between going for it (or not),” Barrigan said. “It’s available if you really want it.”

Chapter members will work as guides to help women complete the application process and gain approval for funds.

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