In its first year, the MSCF awarded scholarships to 28 students from 14 families. Single mothers head five of these families. These students attend one of four schools in the Bangor area. Due to a stipulation with the matching funds, two thirds of the funds are for Bangor area students, one third are for other Maine students. Students continue to be eligible for scholarships each year as long as their family income continues at the designated level.
Students first apply and are accepted at a school, then apply for a scholarship.
If there are more applicants than funds, students are selected randomly, with the remaining students put on a waiting list until sufficient funding is available. MCSF requires students to comply with all rules and regulation at their school, including payment of balances in excess of the scholarship and that they are annually tested with a commonly used standardized test. All scholarship award winners receive a subscription to Parent Power , a quarterly publication that suggests ways of working with their child's school in a proactive manner. It emphasizes effective interpersonal techniques to effectively work with the teacher and the school. The program manager, Rene Davis, handles all the administrative details and is experienced in helping with the selection of appropriate schools.