Scholarships (Cont.)

Alumni Two Plus Two Scholarship
This scholarship is funded by the Alumni Associations of Valencia Community College and University of Central Florida. This award is made each year to a single high school graduate selected from nominations made by each high school principal in Orange and Osceola counties. The recipient may receive up to $4,000 in scholarship funds during the pursuit of an Associate’s degree at Valencia followed by a Bachelor’s degree at University of Central Florida.

Two Plus Two Minority Scholarship
This program provides a two–year (up to 31 credit hours per year) tuition scholarship from Valencia Community College, plus a transfer scholarship from a participating four year college. To be considered, you must be a minority graduate from a high school in Orange or Osceola counties with at least a 3.0 high school GPA. Recipients must complete the FAFSA. For further information and an application, contact the Office of Recruitment and Retention of Ethnically Diverse Students (407) 582–1395.

Roadmap to Success Award
Students are eligible for this $500 award if they are degree seeking and are currently enrolled in SLS 1122 Student Success. Students earn points by completing activities outside of class that will ensure their success in college. Awards are granted on a first come, first served basis. Time restrictions apply and dual enrollment students are not eligible. To be considered for this award, contact your SLS 1122 professor.

Valencia Student Government Association (SGA) and Leadership Scholarships
Campus leaders who participate in Student Government or serve on the Valencia Welcome Team may be considered for a scholarship. Visit the Student Government Office on your campus.

Valencia Foundation Scholarships
The Valencia Foundation offers privately funded scholarships to help students achieve their dreams of attaining a college education. Many students are working to build better lives for themselves and their families, and the Foundation’s donors are committed to help make a difference for our students. While many donors prefer to award scholarships through their own application processes, some have asked Valencia’s Scholarship Committee to screen and select the recipients. You may apply for scholarships that the Scholarship Committee selects using a single Foundation Scholarship Application, submitted to the Financial Aid Services Office. You are not required to indicate a particular scholarship on your application, but may do so if you have identified one or more for which you feel particularly suited or if you wish to renew a current scholarship. The Foundation Scholarship Application for the 2007-08 aid year can be found HERE.  The Foundation Scholarship Application for the 2008-09 aid year can be found HERE.  Using this form, you may also be selected as a candidate for scholarships that are chosen by donor organizations.  Further information on specific scholarships may be found at valencia.org.

The scholarships awarded through the Foundation are highly competitive. In fact, hundreds of applications are received each year but we encourage every student to take advantage of the opportunity to compete. The Scholarship Committee will give priority to criteria specific to each scholarship. Merit and financial need are very often priorities, but this is not always the case. Other special criteria may include, but are not limited to, a major or course of study, residency in a certain county, graduation from a particular high school, or employment with a specific company. The Scholarship Committee screens the applications for a “best match” with available scholarships based on the individual criteria. The deadline for submitting applications to the Scholarship Committee is August 1st of each academic aid year. If no qualified applicants are found among the pool, the scholarship will be advertised in campus publications and an extension of the deadline for that particular scholarship may be granted. New scholarships are donated throughout the year and may also be available. For information on the Foundation and its scholarships, please contact Celica Cofield at 407–582–3227 or 407–582–3150. You may e–mail questions to foundation@valenciacc.edu.

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
This is a state scholarship awarded to Florida high school graduates who demonstrate high academic achievement. Awards are issued by the State of Florida directly to the eligible student. The program has three levels. You may receive only one of these:

1. Florida Academic Scholars Award (pays 100% of college–level tuition plus a book allowance), requires 3.0 cumulative GPA to renew; or
2. Florida Medallion Scholarship (pays 100% of college-level tuition for associate degree programs or 75% of college-level tuition for certificate programs), requires 2.75 cumulative GPA to renew; or
3. Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars Award (pays 75% of vocational program tuition), requires 2.75 cumulative GPA to renew

Renewal also requires completion of at least 6 credit hours of college–level coursework each term. Each award level has different academic criteria for eligibility. The top–ranked scholar from each county will receive an additional award of up to $1,500. Applications and eligibility criteria are available from your high school’s guidance office or from the Florida Department of Education web site: floridastudentfinancialaid.org. Valencia receives electronic information about eligible Valencia scholars from the Florida Department of Education. You must designate Valencia as the school you plan to attend and must enroll for at least 6 hours of college–level coursework each term. Initial award amounts are estimated for purposes of Valencia’s financial aid award planning.

Actual payment depends upon the program regulations and the amount of tuition and fees assessed for the term. The scholarships will cover the designated percentage of in–state college–level tuition and fees for up to 45 credit hours of coursework each year. Your financial aid award will reflect an estimate of the maximum amount that would be covered if you used all 45 credit hours in the year. Payment will be based on your actual tuition charges. Bright Futures awards are available for fall and spring terms only. For additional details about the Bright Futures program and program regulations, visit floridastudentfinancialaid.org.

Other Florida Scholarships offered by the Florida Department of Education
The Florida Department of Education offers a number of scholarships for Florida residents. Please consult the Florida Department of Education web site: floridastudentfinancialaid.org.

Outside Private Scholarships
Many clubs and organizations offer scholarships to college students. Students can obtain information about these awards from high school guidance offices, libraries, or from the Internet. The following free Internet scholarship search services are recommended: nextstudent.com, fastweb.com, cashe.com.  Each campus newspaper publishes scholarship information on a regular basis. If you or your family are members of a social, civic, ethnic, religious, professional or service group, you should contact them. They often have educational assistance programs that are not advertised. Also, employers often have educational assistance plans for employees and/or dependents.

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