Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

$1 Million in Scholarships Awarded

With a longstanding commitment to providing educational opportunities for students, this time of year is particularly special for the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties and their donors, who help champion the educational dreams of some of the brightest, most deserving students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties. 

On May 16th, the Community Foundation’s Board of Directors granted a record $1,000,125 in scholarships awards to 113 students from 33 Palm Beach and Martin County Schools.  This is the largest dollar amount of scholarships awarded in the

Community Foundation’s nearly 40 year history and it demonstrates the unwavering commitment of generous donors to open doors to higher education for area young people. Students were evaluated by an advisory committee of board members and community volunteers based on a written application, test scores, grade transcripts, letters of recommendation and interviews.  Individual scholarships ranged in amounts from $1,000 to $30,000 and were distributions made from funds established at the Community Foundation with donations made by individuals, often to honor the memory of a loved one.

The Palm Beach County School District is the 11th largest in the U.S and over 55% of the students (age 5-17) are eligible for the free and reduced lunch program – a stark indicator of the economic challenges families face in providing their children access to higher education.  Without some form of scholarship assistance, many aspiring students do not have the financial resources for a post secondary education. Students that can obtain financing often face a large debt after graduation.  And as long as students take on a disproportionate amount of student loans to get a college degree, their prospects for a brighter future are delayed or dimmed.   

The Community Foundation’s scholarships are one of the communities’ most powerful assets toward helping worthy students access educational opportunities.  For nearly 30 years, the Community Foundation, together with our donors, has provided over 1,600 students in Palm Beach and Martin Counties $7.1 million in scholarships to attend 183 different schools across the United States, including international post secondary institutions.  Over $4.0 million has supported students in Florida schools including University of Florida, Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Central Florida and several others.  

For a complete list of the 2012 scholarship recipients, please click here. 

For more information on helping youth realize their college dreams by establishing a charitable fund at the Community Foundation, contact Danielle Cameron, Vice President for Personal and Family Philanthropy at (561) 659-6800 or dcameron@cfpbmc.org.