Heinz Endowments donates $1M to Pittsburgh Promise

Paul Guggenheimer | Wednesday, June 12, 2019 5:32 p.m.

Taylor Allderdice High School seniors Gabby Henderson, 18, (left) and Mya Grimes, 18, dance the "Wobble" with other students prior to the start of the Pittsburgh Public Schools Senior Signing Day at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Oakland on Thursday, May 2, 2019. The event honors graduating seniors from Pittsburgh Public Schools who will be continuing their education or joining the military after high school.

The Heinz Endowments announced Wednesday it is making a $1 million contribution to the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program, bringing to $19.4 million the total donated over the program’s decade of existence.

The Pittsburgh Promise awards high school graduates in the city up to $5,000 annually to assist with tuition, fees, books, and room and board for postsecondary education.

“I am incredibly grateful for the Heinz Endowments’ support for the Pittsburgh Promise,” said Saleem Ghubril, executive director. “Their commitment to Pittsburgh’s kids and to equity in education is undeniably powerful.”

It’s been a good late-spring stretch for the Pittsburgh Promise. Last month American Eagle Outfitters announced it was making a $1 million dollar donation to the program.

“It does feel like right now we have wind in our sails,” Ghubril said. “We’re here to stay. We made a promise to Pittsburgh’s kids and we’re doing everything we can to make sure that we deliver on that promise. The promise is that if you live in Pittsburgh and you go to our schools and you are prepared to dream big and work hard, money will not be the reason why you cannot pursue higher education.”

The Pittsburgh Promise has awarded $134 million in scholarships to 8,843 students over the past 10 years.