Even in the best of circumstances, growing up can present real challenges. For inner-city school children those challenges are multiplied many times over and are often overwhelming. The Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF) helps remove the fundamental challenge of getting a good education in a safe, secure environment in New York City. More than 60% of the students enrolled at the 107 designated elementary and secondary inner-city schools in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island come from homes living near or below the federal poverty line–the average scholarship recipient's family income is approximately $27,000 per year. Over half of ICSF students come from single-parent households. Despite these impediments, our Catholic schools–in partnership with our donors–enable our students and their families to overcome enormous odds and break the cycle of poverty through education. Fully 99% of our high school seniors graduate and 96% of those graduates pursue college or university studies.