Scholarship program sends more Manatee students to New College

Students from Manatee County high schools and others from the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota will have all or part of a single year of tuition at New College of Florida paid thanks to a grant from the Bishop Parker Foundation.

The Bishop Parker Foundation supports nonprofits focused on the arts, education, science, and animals. 

The foundation awarded a $159,000 grant to the New College Foundation to start a scholarship program for academically qualified Manatee County high school students and transfer students from State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota. 

“We’re thrilled and grateful to (the Bishop Parker Foundation) for this huge gift,” said MaryAnne Young, the vice president of advancement and the executive director of the New College Foundation. “We were just beyond excited.”

The scholarship program will provide scholarships up to $7,000, which is approximately the cost of one year's tuition at New College. Six students have received scholarships for the 2022-23 school year while applications for 2023-24 scholarships are being accepted.

Approximately 16 scholarships are expected to be given through the grant in 2023-24.

A portion of the grant funds will be used for student activities and engagement, internships, and support to assist student retention and success.

While scholarships have been awarded for the 2022-23 school year, all Manatee County students and State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota students are eligible to apply for scholarships for the first semester of 2023 along with the 2023-24 school year. Go to NCF.edu for information about how to apply.

In the 2021-2022 school year, 54 of the 659 students enrolled at New College of Florida, which is located at 5800 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, were from Manatee County. 

“We’ve been working hard on recruiting more students from Manatee because this is a great education here at New College, it’s right in their backyard and it’s really affordable,” Young said. “We see the power of education and how it can transform students’ lives, particularly those who are underserved and maybe haven’t had the opportunity to attend a college or university. It’s heartwarming and wonderful to see we can help students and give them a little extra boost to help them excel and achieve their dreams.”

Room and board at the college is $9,662, while tuition alone for Florida residents is $6,916. 

Young said the grant can help students remain local after high school while getting a higher education and preparing for a job in the area. 

“When you’re in high school, you don’t always know of all the opportunities, you haven’t been exposed to them,” Young said. “We want to help train and keep bright, young people here in Manatee County. There’s lots of opportunities for great jobs and to create great careers.”

Young said in the past two years, New College of Florida has launched a robust internship program that provides students with internships to get hands-on experience with businesses, organizations and nonprofits in Manatee and Sarasota counties. 

Students who receive Bishop Parker Foundation scholarships will have internship opportunities as well.

“We know that having the opportunity to be exposed to different employment opportunities and being a part of the community is a powerful part of any student’s education,” Young said.

The Bishop Parker Foundation grant also will help cover the cost of providing paid internships at nonprofits who cannot afford to pay interns. 

“A lot of nonprofits can’t afford to have interns, so we cover the cost of that internship for the nonprofit so they can take advantage of having one of our students,” Young said. 

Young said New College of Florida is a hometown college that wants to give back to Manatee County, and the Bishop Parker Foundation will help the college achieve that goal.

“Manatee County is growing by leaps and bounds,” Young said. “We just want to make sure we’re offering opportunities that can help as the community grows, and a partnership with the Bishop Parker Foundation is the perfect way to do it.”