At the general conference pulpit on March 31, 2001, President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a “bold” global educational initiative that has since blessed more than 130,000 individuals.
“Where there is widespread poverty among our people, we must do all we can to help them to lift themselves, to establish their lives upon a foundation of self-reliance that can come of training. Education is the key to opportunity,” the prophet said.
He introduced the Perpetual Education Fund (PEF), a program modeled after the 19th-century Perpetual Emigration Fund, which helped more than 30,000 Saints emigrate to the Salt Lake Valley from Europe.
For 25 years, PEF has helped Latter-day Saints outside the U.S. and Canada with financial aid for education that will lead to better employment opportunities and increased self-reliance.
“It was an amazing and beautiful idea that President Hinckley had,” said Elder John K. Carmack, a now-94-year-old emeritus General Authority Seventy who was called by the prophet to lead the program for its first 11 years. “He wanted the young people, especially out in the world who didn’t have opportunities, to get education. And he wanted the education to be practical. He wanted it to be the type of thing that would lead to jobs.”
The 130,000-plus individuals who have used PEF loans and scholarships are in over 80 countries. Some 88% of graduates report finding better work after completing their education.
The program is a revolving resource that reduces the burden of financing an education by providing loans with little to no interest, a portion as a scholarship, and a discount on the loan for rapid or regular repayment. The education received unlocks new employment opportunities.
PEF Beneficiaries
Nahun Antonio García Pérez of Honduras was one of these students. He had limited means to pursue an education. PEF opened the door for him to complete his studies and build a professional future. Pérez obtained an education, progressed in his career, improved his family’s economic stability, and became an industrial engineer.
Today, Pérez credits PEF for helping him gain professional recognition, secure better opportunities, and improve his family’s quality of life — fulfilling a long-held hope to serve, grow and provide for those he loves.
“Undertaking higher education has not been easy at all, but I feel the satisfaction of having achieved something I set out to do,” Pérez said. “PEF is inspired by God and can be of great benefit in our temporal and spiritual life.”
Another beneficiary of PEF is Selemani Furaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With PEF support, she completed her university studies and became a laboratory technician. Today, Furaya works at Kinsuka Hospital, where her training enables her to serve others in meaningful ways.
She expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to build a better future and become more self‑reliant.
“This program helped me achieve my goals, and I’m incredibly grateful,” Furaya said. “It has made me self-reliant and allows me to serve my fellow beings. I’m so grateful to my Heavenly Father for inspiring our prophet to implement this program to help members of the Church.”
Experiences such as these are examples of what President Hinckley hoped would happen.
“With good employment skills,” he said, “these young men and women can rise out of the poverty they and generations before them have known. They will better provide for their families. They will serve in the Church and grow in leadership and responsibility.”
The Miracles of PEF
Elder Carmack said the fruits of the funds are a miracle.
“Many who received education from the fund and the push that it gave them in life became our leaders — ward and stake leaders, stake presidents and others,” Elder Carmack said. “They were trained with the help of the Perpetual Education Fund. It was quite amazing.”
Trent Jacobson, manager of the Perpetual Education Fund, said self-reliance will remain the focus of PEF.
“When members gain education and work, they are better able to provide for their families and serve in their communities,” Jacobson said. “The Perpetual Education Fund helps members gain market-ready skills that lead to meaningful employment. As we look forward, the focus of education for Church members will remain empowering members to become self-reliant and strengthening families around the world.”
Elder Carmack said PEF was first launched in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Peru. PEF is now available in many countries (see the current list). Latter-day Saint and local leaders are encouraged to consider who they know who could benefit from PEF. Eligibility requirements can be found on the PEF website.
An Inspired Program
Part of the prophetic direction from President Hinckley included a dogged determination to get the program off the ground to bless lives.
“President Hinckley would call me every once in a while in the very beginning stages of PEF and say, ‘I’m not sleeping well at night. What are you doing? You’ve got to get this going,’” Elder Carmack recalled. “He was a pusher. He was pushing me.”
Elder Carmack said he got the program going with the help of several people, including Richard and Mary Cook, Rex Allen, Chad Evans, and many others.
He described one of the last meetings President Hinckley attended — a PEF committee meeting on Wednesday, January 23, 2008. He still remembers the prophet’s words, spoken with deep emotion: “This program has been a miracle. It has really done what I hoped it would do.”
President Hinckley died four days later.
“He didn’t fool around with things that don’t matter,” Elder Carmack said. “He was entitled to and received constant revelation. I never questioned the inspired nature of the Perpetual Education Fund.”