The P.A.W.S. Scholarship Fund, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Wellesley, provides annual scholarship(s) to preschool aged Wellesley resident children whose families have demonstrated financial need.
Criteria:
- Annual application is required – one per family for all eligible children in the household;
- Children must meet the P.A.W.S. eligibility guidelines for acceptance;
- Demonstrated financial need is based on the Wellesley Public Schools P.A.W.S. Financial Assistance guidelines; and
- Scholarships are available for each year a child is eligible and attends P.A.W.S. provided a family reapplies each year with demonstrated financial need and maintains residency in Wellesley. Kindergarten eligible children are not eligible for a P.A.W.S. scholarship.
Method of Advertisement:
The Director of Early Childhood Education will determine the deadline for P.A.W.S. scholarship applications. The current dates for the applications are:
- January 1 Start of new school year
- October 24 Start of second half of year
Once established, the district will assist with advertising the opportunity in local media outlets, including social media; print outlets; local community organizations; and any other potential outlet to reach eligible families.
Application Process:
The application has been translated into multiple languages; all options are linked below.
Applications must be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations, who will ensure the application is complete. Once the applications are reviewed, scholarship award notifications will be provided to the Director of Early Childhood and the family. The director will contact the family and determine if there is an opening that meets the student and family’s needs. The number of annual recipients will be based on several criteria, including but not limited to: Meeting P.A.W.S. eligibility criteria (i.e. age of child); availability of scholarship funds; and availability of space in desired program.
Funds:
Donations made to the P.A.W.S. Scholarship Fund will be deposited into a fund held by the Town Treasurer. The Town of Wellesley will administer the P.A.W.S. Scholarship Fund until all monies of the fund have been depleted.
Both the Kiwanis Club and the Wellesley Public Schools can accept additional donations to this scholarship fund. To contribute, please visit wellesleykiwanis.org and click the “Support” link.
WPS P.A.W.S. Preschool Financial Assistance Application – Confidential: