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The College of Central Florida Foundation can provide financial assistance to college students who may not quality for other financial aid, thanks to a $70,000 grant from the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The scholarship criteria prioritize students who are parents and are working to better themselves and their families through education.

Roberts’ legacy with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County reflects his values and life story. He established a field of interest fund — the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund — to support underfunded community colleges in Florida and also created funds to address new and emerging charitable needs and (as a nod to his mother, Kathryn) to help single mothers.

“We are honored to receive this grant for the sixth year in a row from the Community Foundation,” said Chris Knife, vice president for Institutional Advancement and CEO of the 91��Ƭ Foundation. “Since 2020, the Edward K. Roberts Scholarship has helped 183 91��Ƭ students overcome financial obstacles on their journey to a degree. This is a transformational scholarship – especially for part-time students and student-parents, helping cover both academic costs and essential living expenses that can be the biggest barriers to graduation.”

The 91��Ƭ Foundation, founded in 1959, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that enhances the college’s programs and services through the development and management of private contributions and community partnerships. To learn more, visit 91��Ƭ.edu/Foundation.

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 $544 million in more than 1,590 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $56 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 $500 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit 91��ƬSarasota.org.