Traditionally, at the beginning of each academic year, representatives from the Florida College System Foundation make their way around the state to deliver scholarship funds to benefit students in the 28 academic institutions in the Florida College System. This year, on September 24, Broward College welcomed them virtually at the Broward College Foundation board meeting.

For this 2020-2021 academic year, the Florida College System Foundation will award more than one million dollars in scholarships to students at Florida’s 28 colleges. These scholarships are aimed at relieving the nursing shortage and helping students who are the first in their family to attend college.

Participants in the virtual check presentation included Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System (featured on left); Judy Green, President of the Florida College System Foundation; and Florida College System Foundation Directors George Platt and Randall Vitale.

This academic year, the Broward College Foundation, as a direct support organization for Broward College, will receive support through the Florida College System Foundation totaling $85,943 (eighty-five thousand, nine hundred forty-three dollars) from the following sources:

• From Helios Education Foundation, which has been awarding scholarships for first generation in college students since 2007 … $54,273 (fifty-four thousand, two-hundred seventy-three dollars). Last year, support from Helios Education Foundation benefitted 86 Broward College students.
• From Bank of America, which since 2001 has been awarding scholarships for first generation in college students that may be used for tuition, books and childcare … $6,141 (six thousand, one hundred forty-one dollars). Bank of America’s support assisted six students during the previous academic year.
• From Florida Blue, which has been awarding scholarships for nursing and allied health students for more than a decade … $25,529 (twenty-five thousand, five-hundred, twenty-nine dollars). Florida Blue assisted 29 students in these fields in 2019-2020.

One again this year, the impact of the gift from Florida Blue has been doubled, thanks to a generous dollar-for-dollar match from Roy and Kathryn Krause through The Krause Family Foundation.