INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Indian River and St. Lucie County students who will attend the University of Florida as undergraduates this fall are invited to apply for a $1,500 scholarship from the Treasure Coast Gator Club. Scholarship applications must be submitted online at www.tcgatorclub.com no later than midnight on March 7.
The online application process is new this year to the Gator Club Scholarship program. According to Melissa DePriest, Scholarship Committee Chair, the change was necessary to handle the growing number of scholarship applications.
“There are some years when we have had more than 70 scholarship applications to review,” said DePriest. “When we calculated the expense involved in making copies of all those applications for our scholarship committee, not to mention the opportunity for mistakes, we realized an online application would be much more efficient. That’s even more money we can put back into scholarships for deserving students.”
Last year, the Treasure Coast Gator Club awarded $1,500 scholarships to 19 local students, including students who entered UF as freshman last fall and students who were already attending the university, said Melissa DePriest, Scholarship Committee Chair.
“Our scholarship program is unique because all students pursuing an undergraduate degree from UF, not just incoming freshman, are eligible” DePriest said. “The scholarships are for one year only, but students are welcome to reapply each year until they graduate.”
To be eligible, a student must be a resident of St. Lucie or Indian River County, be a graduating high school senior or transfer student who has received an acceptance letter to attend UF, or be a current UF undergraduate.
Funds for the scholarship are provided through fundraising events such as the Treasure Coast Gator Toast, an annual dinner which will be held this year on May 9 at the Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce. Additional funds come from the Bryan Schirard Memorial Fund, the Arthur and Marian Block Endowment Fund and other individuals who choose to name a scholarship in honor or memory of a loved one.
For more information, visit the www.tcgatorclub.com or email info@tcgatorclub.com.