AICCCA To Award $700,000 in Grants To Member Agencies For Educational Initiatives


Fairfax, VA — July 9, 2004 — The Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies has recently announced that $700,000 in educational grants will be awarded this year to AICCCA member agencies for specific educational initiatives. The grant project will kick off this summer.

"The educational grants awarded to our member agencies will serve as a key resource for consumer financial education," says Dave Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). "The grants will help to complement our existing work educating the nation's consumers at no cost to them."

The importance of personal fiscal responsibility is a crucial educational issue as more workers continue to neglect their savings. The Employee Benefit Research Institute and the American Savings Education Council report only 6 in 10 U.S. workers say that they are currently saving for retirement. These educational grants will help foster new initiatives that will better prepare America's workers for retirement and help consumers avoid using credit to finance their lifestyles.

A committee has been established to develop policies and procedures that will govern distribution of the awards. Only AICCCA member agencies are eligible for a grant, and the awards will only be given for educational purposes that are free to the general public. In addition, the AICCCA member agency is required to submit a proof of performance subsequent to the annual distribution of funds.

The awards are scheduled to begin July of 2004 and the program is anticipated to run for three years.

Founded in 1993, Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA) is a national membership organization, established to promote quality and consistent delivery of credit counseling services. AICCCA and its members are focused on improved creditor relations, efficient processes and advanced technology to best serve clients and creditors. AICCCA members are independent nonprofit agencies that advocate for debtors, counsel millions of consumers annually nationwide and provide debt management services to consumers with excessive unsecured debt. For more information or to contact an AICCCA member office call (800) 450-1794 or visit www.aiccca.org.