TEMPE, Ariz., Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- US Airways (NYSE: LCC) is currently accepting applications through Feb. 1 for the fourth funding cycle of its unique education program, the Field Trip FUNd, which awards $500 grants to Title I public and charter schools in the airline's key cities of Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. The US Airways Field Trip FUNd absorbs ground transportation costs for educational field trips, providing schools the opportunity to enrich and extend classroom studies.

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Since the program's inception in October 2011, US Airways has helped more than 12,500 students attend field trips by providing $74,000 in assistance. Previous grant recipients have used the funds for Kindergarten students to visit Discovery Place in Charlotte to learn about properties of objects and living things; fifth graders visited the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix to explore musical relationships and social influences of music to daily life, religion and politics.

Rachel Yanof, principal at Phoenix Collegiate Academy in Phoenix, said, "The US Airways Field Trip FUNd made college a reality for our students. Because of this grant our students, 95 percent of whom live at or below the poverty line, were able to visit an Arizona college for the day, meet college students like them and start to envision a future that included them attending and graduating from college. This truly has motivated our students to work hard in school and change their life trajectory."

Grants may be applied for by teachers, school administrators, club advisors and parent volunteers located within the geographic parameters of the airline's four key cities. The schools that apply must have a minimum 70 percent Title I student population (students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals as determined by the State Board of Education). Schools in which children of employees of US Airways and its wholly owned subsidiaries, Piedmont and PSA, are students will be given preference, but is not a requirement for consideration. A $500 grant will be awarded directly to schools to be used for field trip ground transportation needs such as buses or gas.

Additionally, the Employee Dependent FUNd will award a $250 grant to domestic and international classrooms in public schools which have at least one student whose parent or guardian is an employee of US Airways or its wholly owned subsidiaries PSA and Piedmont Airlines.

Applications are now available and must be submitted by 11.59 p.m. MST on Feb. 1. For more information, to see more application dates or to apply for a grant, visit www.usairways.com/corporategiving. Grants will be awarded based on educational goals, adherence to state educational standards, curriculum and projected outcomes.

About US Airways
US Airways, along with US Airways Shuttle and US Airways Express, operates more than 3,000 flights per day and serves 195 communities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Central and South America. The airline employs more than 32,000 aviation professionals worldwide, operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and is a member of the Star Alliance network, which offers its customers more than 21,900 daily flights to 1,329 airports in 194 countries. Together with its US Airways Express partners, the airline serves approximately 80 million passengers each year and operates hubs in Charlotte, N.C., Philadelphia and Phoenix, and a focus city in Washington, D.C. at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Aviation Week and Overhaul & Maintenance magazine presented US Airways with the 2012 Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of the Year Award for demonstrating outstanding achievement and innovation in the area of technical operations. Military Times Edge magazine named US Airways as a Best of Vets employer in 2011 and 2012. US Airways was, for the third year in a row, the only airline included as one of the 50 best companies to work for in the U.S. by LATINA Style magazine's 50 Report. The airline also earned a 100 percent rating on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality index for six consecutive years. The Corporate Equality index is a leading indicator of companies' attitudes and policies toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and customers. For more company information visit usairways.com, follow on Twitter @USAirways or at Facebook.com/USAirways. (LCCG)

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SOURCE US Airways