Supporting the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus

USF plans to build an on-campus student center and residence hall near the Sarasota Bay that will transform the student experience and make the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus into a destination campus. 

Students and prospective students have consistently reported their desire to have a student center to study and conduct social activities, as well as live on campus.  Therefore, a feasibility study was performed in the spring of 2018 to determine most appropriate way to turn this aspiration into a reality. We seek to partner with members of the community to support this exciting endeavor.

A student center and residence hall will expand the university’s ability to recruit students, serve the housing needs of students in the region who prefer to live on-campus, and develop summer camps for K-12 and college students, conferences and programs. The student center and residence hall will feature areas for student engagement and will provide the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus with an opportunity to host programs that contribute directly to student success on topics such as leadership, career development, global and cultural engagement, health and wellness, and more.

One of the most significant strategic priorities for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus is to build a new 75,000-square-foot Integrated Science and Technology Complex (ISTC) on the south side of campus. The $50.8 million facility will include much-needed teaching labs, lecture halls, clinical space, conference rooms, and areas for students to congregate, study and learn.

This building will enable the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to continue to develop and sustain transformational academic programs and revolutionary experiential learning opportunities for our students, faculty and staff so that they can achieve at the highest level in the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), business, education, and more. 

At the same time, we strive to serve our communities in a most impactful way by sharing our expertise, research, thinking and resources to help companies and organizations thrive. The facility will enable the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus to train students to meet the growing workforce needs in the Sarasota-Manatee region and Southwest Florida.

Approximately 80 pecent of USF Sarasota-Manatee campus students qualify for financial aid, and our generous supporters help fund a variety of scholarships to help students meet their need for financial resources, thus reducing the amount of debt they must take on in order to earn a college degree. 

Many USF Sarasota-Manatee campus students are the first in their families to attend college and a vast majority work part-time or full-time jobs while they attend classes. Donating to student scholarship funds opens up windows of opportunity for students who otherwise may not be able to afford the cost of a college education.

The USF Sarasota-Manatee campus offers a wide range of scholarships to help students through annual giving programs, endowed scholarships, support of events such as the Brunch on the Bay, and more.