The AMEDF began in the early 90’s as a private community organization in Western New York that promoted access to higher education, and disseminated information on college access and financial aid through community workshops. In 1997, the AMEDF applied for and obtained an advanced ruling from the IRS to operate as a public, tax-exempt trust, allowing the AMEDF to receive tax-deductible donations and be exempt from Federal income tax. The management structure in 1997, as a result of being granted the tax-exempt status, changed to a seven-member board of trustees.

Since 1997, the AMEDF has expanded its community awareness programs to include a 2-session Basic College Planning “Complete Guide to College Funding” workshop and the Scholars Program™ to provide self-guidance to select students in the areas of career and college planning, a College Adviser training and certification program, a quarterly newsletter, and a full-featured website with links and articles pertaining to education. The Foundation has also expanded its presence by establishing a Chapter-Formation Program in order to expand the activities of the AMEDF beyond the Western New York area.

Today’s college arena is highly complex. With a record number of students competing for admissions and severe funding shortages due to economic factors, many families are finding it harder to prepare for college. As a result, 1 in 4 college students fail after just the first year! This is where the AMEDF comes in. We offer comprehensive workshops and programs geared towards helping students and families in the areas of student academic development, college admissions planning, career exploration, financial aid, and family financial preparation. The successful integration of all these components is crucial to your student’s college success. It takes coordinated efforts of parents, student, teachers, guidance counselors, and professional advisers to ensure this integration.

We have put together our exciting programs with the help of charitable donations from individual and corporate contributors who share in this vision. Come let us help you overcome these college education challenges. With your participation, we can work together to give all of our students a better chance at college success.