The Community Foundation’s
COMMITMENT
TO COLLEGE EDUCATION
College is changing,” says Murray Devine, the
Communications and Marketing Manager at the
Community Foundation of Sarasota County. “Costs are
up. The challenges students face are far different than, say,
ten years ago.” He’s exactly right. And that’s why the Community
Foundation formed a task force about five years ago to figure out
how they can get maximum value for their robust scholarship
program. They considered student loan debt, graduation rates, and
many other issues.
The conclusion? A primary area of focus has to be getting students
to graduate. While it’s awesome to be able to give students money
to attend college, it’s a much more meaningful thing to do all you
can to ensure they leave with a degree.
Earl Young, Manager of Scholarships & Special Initiatives, reports that
last year, they awarded $1.85 million in scholarships to area residents,
48 SARASOTA SCENE | MAY 2018
meaning students residing in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, or
DeSoto counties. “We’ve got a great scholarship program here,”
he says. “It’s one of the largest—if not the largest—in the entire
state of Florida.”
Young explains that the Community Foundation has three categories
of scholarships. The traditional one is for students under 24. The
bulk of these are high school seniors, though plenty of opportunities
exist to support students already attending college. The second
scholarship category is for adults, meaning students 24 and up.
Much of the funding here goes to adults seeking a GED, CNA,
or other certificate. This category also helps the Community
Foundation’s 2-Generation work, where support is given not
only to K-12 children but also their parents. The third and final
scholarship category is all about special interests. “It’s for students
who don’t fit into the traditional or adult learner bucket,” says
Young. These scholarships have gone to students as young as 12
and as old as 30 for things like summer camps for performing
BY RYAN G. VAN CLEAVE