The Fund for Mercy Families remains one of the most popular ways to help provide students with the means to a quality education and a hopeful future. The generosity of donors has allowed us to restructure the program so that the money gifted in one fiscal year will be designated to students for the following fiscal year. This improvement allows the Advancement Office to show the actual monies received for The Fund for Mercy Families instead of giving a projected number we hope to raise.

The goal of the Fund for Mercy Families is to provide the families of prospective and current students with financial assistance so that they can enjoy a quality education at Mercy and look forward to a hopeful future. Because it is important that families feel they are investing in the education of their child, all parents and guardians pay a portion of the tuition to the school. Some students need almost the entire amount of tuition due to their family’s low-income level, while others need tuition stipends to augment their family income. Often the recipients of this program face multiple challenges that give new meaning to the term “at risk.”

The cost to educate each student is $10,700 but our families pay the present tuition of $6296. Many students come from families whose financial situations are tenuous: 75% of our students receive financial assistance. We rely on the generosity of donors who value our unique mission and appreciate our success rate:

Graduates were also awarded over $1.2M in scholarships and merit awards to attend career and technical schools, community colleges and 4 year institutions of higher learning.

By fully funding a student’s education at the $10,700 level or choosing partial funding at whatever level you choose, you can directly impact the lives of one or more students and his/her families. In turn, you may elect to receive letters and regular updates about your student and share in their progress as he/she discovers and explore the opportunities available to them at MVHS. As the donor, you determine your level of involvement with your sponsored student, under the guidance of the school's staff. You may visit the student, serve as a mentor, provide co-operative education opportunities, assist with post-graduate employment, or simply be a silent benefactor.

Click here to access the various payment options available to you: http://www.mercyvocational.org/giving/

CASE HISTORY: David, Class of 2011

David’s shy, quiet exterior masks an inner core of strength and determination to succeed. Although he takes three different modes of transportation to reach MVHS every morning, he is never late. He approaches everything with enthusiasm especially as he pursues the certifications in Culinary Arts to give him an extra advantage in the workforce when he graduates in June. He has applied to Community College of Philadelphia.

Life is hard for David and his Mom who is unable to work due to debilitating medical challenges. At nineteen David shoulders the responsibility of being the head of a two person household seriously. He does all the cooking for both of them while also running all the errands. Despite these challenges, David continues to pursue his hobbies: drawing and singing in the church choir. He feels strongly that the two values in life that are most important are responsibility and enthusiasm.

While David originally entered Mercy in the McAuley Learning Support Program, he is now quite proud of the fact that he is an Honor Student and involved with various Community Service Corps activities. He also regularly receives good conduct awards. David is able to succeed at Mercy Vocational because of the benefactors who supported the Fund for Mercy Families.