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EFSC Veterans Get Boost from Rotary Scholarships


February 21, 2018

Military veterans at Eastern Florida State College now have more scholarship opportunities thanks to a donation from the Rotary Club of Indialantic.

The club presented a check Wednesday for just over $6,666 to college President Dr. Jim Richey to establish the Dr. James E. Hagerty Memorial Fund for veterans, named in honor of the late Rotarian.

man and woman presenting $6666.67 EFSC Foundation donation to man
EFSC President Dr. Jim Richey accepts a donation from Rotary Club President Michael Peacock and Rotarian Ailish M. Nic Phaidin to support student scholarships for veterans at the college.

The fund will benefit the Eastern Florida State College Foundation that provides EFSC student scholarships.

Richey thanked the Rotarians for their generosity, saying, “It will help the brave men and women who have served our country achieve their educational and career goals.”

The college currently has about 1,100 veterans enrolled. It also has a Military and Veterans Service Center dedicated to helping them in the classroom and with receiving their educational benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The scholarship money came through ticket sales from the recent Rotary-sponsored appearance of former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at the King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne Campus.

Clapper, a retired Air Force Lt. General and Vietnam War combat veteran, served in the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

Before the presentation, Richey updated club members on the college’s continued growth and progress.

“Everywhere you look, we have new initiatives underway that are making the college a vital center for higher education and workforce development along the Space Coast and East-Central Florida,” he said.

The accomplishments Richey cited include:

  • A prestigious Gold Rating from the Florida Board of Education for EFSC’s performance in student success.
  • Starting 40 new academic programs in the fields of Business, Health Care and Computer Technology.
  • The programs include nearly 20 Bachelor’s Degree tracks with more than 2,000 students enrolled in the past year.
  • Not raising tuition for six straight years, making Eastern Florida among the most affordable colleges in the state and nation.
  • A major expansion of college facilities, including a new $20 million state-of-the-art Health Sciences Institute on the Melbourne Campus.
  • A range services to help students excel, including a Career Planning and Development Center that has served more than 61,000 students since it opened.

The EFSC Foundation awards about 550 scholarships annually, but the demand for financial assistance keeps rising.

To learn more about the Foundation or to donate, visit easternflorida.edu/foundation