More than $1 million in scholarships were offered to area high school students this past year through Florida Gateway College, The Foundation for Florida Gateway College and Take Stock in Children.

This is the first time scholarship offerings have exceeded $1 million.

Recipients of the offers include the Top 20 Percent Scholarship – presented to the top 20 percent of graduates at high schools in FGC’s five-country district – as well as privately funded scholarships and Take Stock in Children scholarships for at-risk, first-generation college students.

This is a significant increase over the previous year, said Mike Lee, executive director for The Foundation for Florida Gateway College. He chalks up the growth to an increase in private donations and enhancement of the Foundation endowment.

Since its inception in 1969, The Foundation for Florida Gateway College has provided more than $7.7 million in student scholarships and more than $3.4 million in non-scholarship support for the college for more than $11 million in support. The Foundation manages an endowment of more than $9 million with the distributions being used to support FGC students.

Lee noted donors give in a variety of ways – through payroll deductions, establishing endowments or leaving FGC in their wills as some examples.

“I want to thank the many businesses and individuals who support the college through the Foundation,” Lee said. “There are a lot of people who give what they can to support education.”

For more information on how you can support The Foundation for Florida Gateway College, call Lee at (386) 754-4201.