Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Foundation, University of Florida to Provide 30 Scholarships for FirstGeneration Students

Founder, Stanley G. Tate, was instrumental in the creation of both the Florida Prepaid College Board and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, providing a path to higher education for Floridians

  • The scholarships valued at more than $27,000 each ($824,000 total) will be awarded to incoming Fall 2019 Freshmen
  • The partnership between UF and the Foundation honors founder and UF alumnus Stanley G. Tate’s vision of providing opportunities for at-risk students
  • More than 26,000 Foundation scholarship recipients have attended college using their benefits

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Prepaid College Foundation and the University of Florida have sealed a partnership worth nearly a million dollars to equally fund 4-year Florida University Plan scholarships for 30 First Generation students joining the Fall 2019 freshmen class at the University of Florida.

The announcement comes as the Florida Prepaid College Foundation begins their 30th anniversary year, celebrating the more than 26,000 students that have used their scholarship benefits to attend college.

The Florida Prepaid College Program is the largest and longest-running prepaid program in the nation, providing the mechanism for the Foundation to expand opportunities for families of all income levels and educational backgrounds.

Mr. Stanley G. Tate was instrumental in the creation and early development of the Florida Prepaid College Program and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. It was his vision to provide Florida families with an affordable means to save for their children’s future college education. Mr. Tate served as Board Chairman from 1987 to 2005.

In recognition of Mr. Tate’s service, Governor Jeb Bush signed House Bill 263 into law on June 26, 2006, renaming the program the Stanley G. Tate Florida Prepaid College Program. Stanley Tate is an alumnus of UF and a 1949 Graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences and the 2017 recipient of the Stephen C. O’Connell Public Service award.

“For 30 years, the promise and reality of a college education have been delivered to thousands of young students through scholarships from the Foundation,” said Foundation Chairman, John D. Rood. “Now, as we celebrate our 30th anniversary with this match program, we honor not just our founder’s legacy, but also the University of Florida’s mission of providing a quality higher education experience to deserving first-generation students.”

UF for more than 13 years has been a national leader in helping first-generation students succeed. The Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars (MFOS) program at UF works directly with First Generation students and has a graduation rate of over 80%. More than 2,000 MFOS recipients have graduated; alumni include teachers, lawyers, doctors, police officers and engineers. To be eligible, recipients must be the first in their families to attend college and have an annual family income of less than $40,000. The average annual family income for MFOS recipients is $18,408.

“We are pleased to partner with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and very happy to help support expanding access for first-generation college students,” UF Provost Joe Glover said. “The Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars program has provided thousands of first-generation students with opportunities they might never have had otherwise.”

“We are delighted to award these First Generation Scholarships,” said Foundation Executive Director, Kevin Thompson. “By helping students who are the first in their families to attend college, we can open the door to so many opportunities that set off a cascade of life-changing benefits. Thank you to UF for partnering with us.”

Learn more about the Florida Prepaid College Foundation at https://www.floridaprepaidcollegefoundation.com.