Got a Used Car? Donate It to the PCC Foundation

November 26, 2012

Vehicles Are Sold to Fund Scholarships or Given to Needy Students

Tucson, AZ – The Pima Community College Foundation is accepting donations of unwanted vehicles, which are used to get students to class – literally.

Some vehicles are sold to raise funds for scholarships that help pay for tuition, books or school supplies for hundreds of PCC students every year. Other vehicles, if they’re in good-enough shape, are given to deserving students, such as Melissa Johnson.

Melissa is attending PCC this semester thanks to a $500 Frances Frye Memorial Scholarship, and is getting around in a 2001 Subaru Outback donated by PCC Foundation Board member Leo Roop. A member of PCC’s Facilities Department gave the car a tune-up before it was donated to Melissa.

Melissa, a 38-year-old single mom of two, says the car makes it easier to get to school, work and to take her daughter to the doctor. “I used to worry about my safety when travelling along on the bus after dark,” Melissa says. “This vehicle has been a true blessing.”

For Melissa, going to college is part of a larger life change. Melissa moved to Tucson from Akron, Ohio, in search of career and education opportunities. She is working toward an Associate of Art degree in Social Services, and intends to transfer to Arizona State University to pursue further studies.

“Pima is more economical, and the scholarship helped for my books,” said Melissa, a work-study student at PCC Adult Education’s Project RAISE.

The PCC Foundation secures private support for scholarships, programs and other needs, manages assets to ensure the highest financial returns, and facilitates College development activities. The beneficiaries are PCC students, many of whom would not be able to attend college without the Foundation’s support.

This fall, the Foundation awarded 670 scholarships at about $710 per award for a total of $475,000 issued. Most scholarships will be renewed in the spring.

To learn more about making donations to the Foundation, call (520) 206-4646, email foundation@pima.edu, or go to the webpage, http://www.pima.edu/give-to-pima/ways-to-give/index.html. If a donated car is sold, the donor can claim a tax deduction equal to the amount of the sale, according to the IRS. If the car is awarded to a student, the donor may estimate the vehicle’s value for a deduction. In all cases, donors should consult tax professionals.

CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850
ckaramargin@pima.edu