Q. Who qualifies for the Scholarships?
A. Scholarships are awarded to low-income families who qualify for the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program, are entering private school for the first time, and have children entering Kindergarten through the eighth (K-8th) grade in a registered private school located in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Napa, Solano or Sonoma.

Q. Can students apply to any private or parochial school?
A. Yes, as long as they meet all academic and admission requirements of the school to which they apply.

Q. Which schools qualify?
A. Those non-public schools that are registered with the California State Department of Education.

Q. How long are the scholarships awarded?
A. Scholarships are awarded for a minimum of four years. We have a plan in place to carry them through the students' 8th grade year.

Q. How much do the scholarships cover?
A. Scholarships usually cover 25%, 50%, or 75% of the selected school's tuition up to a maximum of $1,600 annually per child.

Q. What are the family's responsibilities?
A. Participating families are required to contribute at a minimum of $500 per family to their children's education and are responsible for all costs not covered by the scholarship. Additionally, parents must agree to participate in their children’s education through involvement with the school and providing an encouraging environment.

Q. What are the requirements for renewal?
A. Families must remain financially eligible according to the BASIC Fund's financial guidelines. Families must also be up-to-date in their payments to the school in order to be able to renew their scholarship for the next school year.

Q. What are the costs of going to private schools?
A. The average cost of tuition at schools participating in our program is $4,195; the average BASIC Fund scholarship is $1,400.

Q. How many families are receiving scholarships from The BASIC Fund?
A. There are approximately 5,000 students in 300 schools throughout The Bay Area receiving scholarships from The BASIC Fund.

Q. What are the administrative and operating costs of the program?
A. All administrative and operating costs constitute less than 5% of our budget and are covered by the directors' contributions.