Traditional Scholarship Application is OPEN Through Feb. 15

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County Application open for Scholarship Opportunities

The Traditional Scholarship application for students under age 24 is open through February 15, 2023.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—The Community Foundation of Sarasota County has opened its Traditional Scholarship Application for students planning for the 2023-2024 school year.

With a single application, students are considered for 79 different scholarships that are available to students residing in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. The Community Foundation prioritizes applicants demonstrating financial need. Those hopeful of attending any postsecondary experience, including college, community college, career certification programs and other technical training are encouraged to apply, regardless of high school performance.

President and CEO Roxie Jerde said that investing in postsecondary education improves individual trajectories and the community at large.

“Our community is full of young people with so much potential, and so many of them need support to help them realize their dreams,” Jerde said. “When they are given the chance, the stability, social capital, and skills they earn will have a ripple effect throughout their own lives and throughout the community. Scholarships are a way to help people today attain the education that enables them to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Applications are reviewed by nearly 90 local community volunteers in the winter months and scholarships winners will be notified via email April 30, 2023.

Last year, the Community Foundation awarded more than $1 million in Traditional scholarships to nearly 300 applicants under the age of 24, including those enrolling for the first time in postsecondary programs as well as those who sought scholarship renewals to help them make it to the finish line.

Overall, the Community Foundation awards more than $2 million annually to more than 700 recipients. More can be learned about the robust and varied scholarship opportunities available for adult learners, parents seeking higher education, and people aspiring to nursing programs by visiting the Community Foundation website. The Adult Scholarship Application, for people 24 and older, opens Feb. 15, 2023.

The Community Foundation is also seeking volunteers to serve on a scholarship review committee. This rewarding undertaking connects adults in the community with those up-and-coming leaders, allowing a glimpse into the lives and aspirations of college-bound students. Volunteer scholarship committee members fulfill a vital part of the Community Foundation’s mission of supporting the next generation of leaders, innovators, creators, and community caretakers.

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About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $520 million in more than 1,570 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $27.5 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $350 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.