09 Jan 2018 Community Foundation scholarship application process begins
FAFSA form required for scholarships
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s scholarship application process for the 2018-2019 school year will begin this month and all scholarships require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form available at www.fafsa.gov.
Approximately $500,000 in scholarship money is available through more than 50 scholarships for local high-school students, undergraduate and graduate students from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
Beginning January 8, 2018, students can apply for scholarships through the Foundation’s online portal at www.floridacommunity.com/scholarships. The scholarship application process will close March 4, 2018. Students may review the scholarships available online as well as a tutorial about how to create and submit the online application. Students may apply for multiple scholarships and have the ability to upload transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, letters of recommendation and the FAFSA Student Aid Report.
Online scholarship applications must be submitted by March 4, 2018. Educators, mentors, parents and students can find resources to complete the FAFSA through the local FAFSA first website recently launched by the FutureMakers Coalition at http://fafsafirst.org/. The goal of the FutureMakers Coalition is to transform the workforce by increasing the number of Southwest Florida residents with degrees, certificates and other high-quality credentials by the year 2025.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created more than 400 philanthropic funds. Thanks to them, the Foundation invested $5.4 million in grants and programs to the community. With assets of $115 million, it has provided more than $71 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Foundation is the backbone organization for the regional FutureMakers Coalition and Lee County’s Sustainability Plan. Currently, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s regional headquarters are located off College Parkway in South Fort Myers, with satellite offices located on Sanibel Island, in LaBelle (Hendry County) and downtown Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com.