Donate your used car to the PCC Foundation | News

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

Donated vehicles are either sold to help raise funds for scholarships for tuition, books or school supplies.  Other vehicles, which are in good-enough shape are given to deserving students.  Melissa Johnson just happens to be one of those deserving students.

Johnson, a single mom of two, is attending PCC this semester thanks in part to a $500 Frances Frye Scholarship, she is also getting to and from class in a donated 2001 Subaru Outback.  The Subaru had been donated by PCC Foundation Board Member Leo Roop; the car was tuned up before being given to Johnson.

The donated Subaru makes life easier for Johnson, who said in a recent news release, “I used to worry about my safety when traveling alone on the bus after dark.  This vehicle has been a true blessing.”  She can now travel to school, work and take her children to the doctor without worry for their safety.

Attending college has been part of huge life change, according to Johnson, who had moved to Tucson from Ohio and is currently working on an Associate of Art degree in Social Sciences, before transferring to Arizona State University to pursue further studies.

“Pima is more economical, and the scholarship helped for my books,” said Johnson in the same news release, she is also 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.