Pinellas Students Earned $164K Through Paid for Grades This Year!

As the Spring semester wraps up, and summer is just around the corner, we’re excited to announce that it’s been another successful year for Paid for Grades!

Freshmen students from Lakewood, Boca Ciega and Hollins high schools earned $164,000 for themselves, their mentors and their schools this week following their completion of the 11th Annual Paid for Grades program, a literacy initiative that rewards students financially for improving their readability and overall grade point average.

In partnership with the Pinellas Education Foundation, Paid for Grades—a not-for-profit organization
providing supplemental tutoring and financial incentives to participating students—rewards ninth-grade students who raise their overall GPA and readability levels, as well as maintain good attendance and behavioral standing, with $500 heading into summer. Additionally, Paid for Grades gives the students’ designated mentors $400 and provides schools with $100 for each student that completes the course.

Paid for Grades recognized students with individual ceremonies at their respective schools, where they received certificates, “summer swag bags” and a check for $500. In total, students earned $53,000 for Boca Ciega High School, $81,000 for Hollins High School and $30,000 for Lakewood High School through Paid for Grades.

To date, Paid for Grades has donated approximately $1.5 million to Pinellas County students, mentors and schools.

“I am truly overwhelmed by the dedication shown by each student who has chosen to embark on this journey of self-improvement,” said Monica Eaton, CEO of Chargebacks911 and founder of Paid for Grades. “Their unwavering commitment is the reason our program is as successful as it is today, and I hope the lessons of personal growth that they’ve learned through Paid for Grades are carried forward into their futures.”

“The Paid for Grades program helps kids build self esteem and teaches them that even though they may struggle, you can be very successful just by working hard,” said Brenda Hankin, a teacher and Paid for Grades facilitator at Hollins High School. “It also helps the teachers build relationships with those kids, and they get more respect when students realize their mentors are working for them so they can be successful.“

Teachers and administrators interested in Bringing the Paid for Grades program to their school are encouraged to visit our How It Works page to get more information.