Why Not Free College?

Recognizing Community College of Philadelphia’s Octavius Catto Scholarship Initiative

Senator Hughes was joined by Representative Morgan Cephas and leaders from Episcopal Community Services to recognize a new round of Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) funding that was awarded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and celebrate over $870,000 that was awarded to Episcopal Community Services and their program, St. Barnabas, located at 60th and Girard.

In 2021, the City of Philadelphia launched the Catto Scholarship as a major anti-poverty initiative. Today, there are over 1,600 Catto Scholars and close to 2,500 residents that have benefited from the initiative.

On May 10, 1864, Octavius Catto delivered a speech in south Philadelphia to the Institute of Colored Youth’s graduating class (what is now known as Cheyney University) leading with the words “for the good of the nation.” This inspirational speech made the point that by providing access to quality education, specifically for those struggling in our communities it would be “for the good of the nation”.

At the event, speakers, including Senator Hughes, continued to lean into Catto’s inspirational words with a slightly different spin, “For the Good of the City”.