The Maine Children’s Scholarship Fund has awarded 72 scholarships to students in kindergarten-Grade 12 for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Scholarship awards, averaging $1,252, have been granted to students from 21 towns in 10 Maine counties. The organization’s mission is to fill the gap in funding for parents who are denied access to educational opportunities because of low-family income. The fund provides tuition scholarships for public school, private school or home -schooling expenses. The organization provides 75 percent of tuition per child up to $1,700 for families whose income is at or below the federal guidelines for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program. Families must contribute a minimum of 25 percent of tuition. The goal is for all Maine families to have maximum educational opportunities at all income levels.

To learn more about the Maine Children’s Scholarship Fund, visit www.mecsf.org or call 945-6893.