Peirce College Receives Donation from W. W. Smith Charitable Trust

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust recently announced a donation of $27,500 to Peirce College as part of the Trust’s Scholars Program.

“We are extremely grateful for the scholarship support provided by the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust. The Trust enables more students to achieve their degree by expanding the institutional aid base”

The Trust has made funds available for student financial aid since its inception and has supported Peirce College for a number of years. Grants are made to full-time undergraduate students at local MSCHE accredited colleges and universities.

The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust, which is located in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, is a private foundation established by William Wikoff Smith and focuses on areas involving basic needs for food, clothing and shelter; supplementing higher education scholarship programs; and basic medical research. It supports organizations within Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, as well as the City of Camden, New Jersey.

Philadelphia-based Peirce College provides career-oriented education to working adult learners in a personal and supportive environment, as they balance job, family and studies. Peirce prepares students to meet challenges in the workplace through the development of real-world, practical skills. Eighty-six percent of those students receive some form of financial aid. For them, scholarship support is critical, said Chuck Wright, Vice President, Institutional Advancement for the College.

“We are extremely grateful for the scholarship support provided by the W.W. Smith Charitable Trust. The Trust enables more students to achieve their degree by expanding the institutional aid base,” Wright said.

For Ann Marie Daly of Port Richmond, Philadelphia, the scholarship meant everything, especially after she unexpectedly became unemployed. She enrolled at Peirce College but feared entering into financial commitments. “The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Scholarship has helped to make it possible for me to focus on excelling in my studies rather than on the financial concerns of student loans,” Daly said.

Peirce student Zadian Gayle, another scholarship recipient, graduated recently. She described the scholarship as an education lifeline. Gayle, who lives in Southwest Philadelphia, said the scholarship motivated her to continue her education. “Getting help from people who do not even know me and yet who care and want to invest in my education…that motivated me. If people believe in you and help you to fulfill your dreams, achieve your goals and better yourself and your family, then you should have enough faith in yourself to want to go further,” she said.

About Peirce College

Peirce College offers bachelor’s and associate degree programs in the areas of Business, Healthcare, Information Technology and Paralegal Studies. Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Peirce is a non-profit institution that specializes in serving the unique needs of working adults, many of whom work full time and are raising families. In response to the changing demands of the economy and the prospect for future jobs in the Philadelphia market, Peirce recently introduced degree programs in Human Resource Management and Accounting. Peirce College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104 (phone: [phone]). The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs accredits the College's Business Administration program and the Paralegal Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association.

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