As USF Giving Week approaches, the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus is seeking support for a unique and special fund on behalf of students facing financial hardship, the Stay the Course Scholarship fund.
USF Giving Week, celebrated April 4-8, is a time when alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of the university unite to show appreciation for USF and its many scholarships, academic programs and research efforts.
The Stay the Course Scholarship is one such fund, providing direct support to students to overcome unexpected financial hurdles that hinder their ability to complete their education.
College of Education student Kenia Perez Torres knows all too well the difficulty juggling the demands of school and home life.
A single mom caring for a special-needs child, Perez Torres works weekends and nights to pay the bills. Earlier this year when those burdens threatened to derail her final semester of college, she reached out to teachers and campus staff to identify grants and other funding sources to help her stay on track to graduate and become an elementary school teacher.
Within days, she was awarded a Stay the Course Scholarship, and now Perez Torres is set to graduate in May.
There are many such students as Perez Torres. Many are hard-working, striving to balance work, education and family life. And many come from Sarasota-Manatee and plan to remain in the area after graduation to contribute to the local economy.
“So many of our students are balancing full-time jobs with their education,” said Marrie Neumer, associate vice president of University Advancement. “The Stay the Course Scholarship gives us the flexibility to respond immediately to those facing financial adversity.
To help students continue their education amidst financial hardship, visit usf.to/gwusfsm, to support the USFSM Stay-The-Course Scholarship.
To learn more about supporting the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/giving.