Education First Federal Credit Union Donates $45,000 to Southeast Texas schools

Education First Federal Credit Union generously awarded more than $45,000 to support local schools in Southeast Texas on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. This incredible contribution was made possible through the impactful Paying It Forward (PIF) program.

The program was conceived in 2014 as a nod to the credit union’s roots, which was started by a small group of teachers at South Park High School in Beaumont in 1952. Through the program, when an Education First member borrows from the credit union, a donation is accrued to the school of the choice. Each year, the aggregate donations are presented to school superintendents and administrators at an annual luncheon.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of PIF, which was celebrated with a live game show that pitted attendees from 123 school schools against one another in a chance to win an additional $5,000 for their campus. Topics ranged from historical financial events to pop culture financial fun facts.

Education First FCU is a community credit union with over 34,000 members and anyone that lives, works, or worships in Jefferson, Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Orange and Tyler counties is welcome to join. “When we dreamed up this program up all those years ago, we had no idea it would grow to this magnitude,” said Kevin Conn, Education First FCU President and CEO. “We recognize that public education in Texas is starving for funding right now and need help more than ever. This program provides unrestricted funds to help schools continue to provide programs and services that schools might otherwise have to go without, and we are proud to be a part of that.”

The credit union also supports education through financial literacy, which is a requirement of the credit union’s college scholarship program that awards $25,000 each year to members who are seniors in high school and attend a school in the field of membership. The 2024 scholarship criteria and application is currently open and can be found on the website  – www.EducationFirstFCU.og.