Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look for scholarships from private donors?
Scroll through the list below – these are scholarship opportunities that private organizations have asked SPC to advertise. This page is updated when we receive new notifications.
If I apply for a scholarship, will my personal information be shared?
The links below are to third-party websites that SPC does not control or maintain. SPC is not responsible for the privacy policies employed by any third-party website. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of all third-party websites before submitting any personal information.
How do I avoid scholarship scams?
Review the Federal Trade Commission's recommendations on how to avoid scholarship and financial aid scams.
I received a scholarship from a private donor or I am a private donor. How do I get the funds to SPC?
Congratulations students and thank you donors! Make checks payable to St. Petersburg College. Scholarship checks may be mailed to: St. Petersburg College, Attn: Scholarships, P.O. Box 13489, St. Petersburg, FL 33733. Checks may also be given to your campus Business Office. Please attach the student recipient's name and SPC ID number, as well as a contact name and phone number for the donor.
What will my scholarship cover?
Each individual private donor determines what charges their scholarship will cover. Options are tuition; tuition and fees; tuition, fees and books; and tuition and fees with any remainder to the student.
If there are unused funds, SPC will place funds on your student account until they are completely spent or they are not used for three terms. If they are unused at the end of the third term, they will automatically be returned to the donor. The donor or the student may request to have any unused funds returned to the donor at any time.
Private Donor Scholarships
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T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program
Description:
The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program Provides scholarships to early learning program teachers and directors, family child care home educators, and child care facility owners working
toward earning a Florida Staff Credential, a Director Credential, a National CDA Assessment, credential renewals, and Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degrees in early childhood education. The scholarship provides the majority of tuition and books.Criteria:
Teachers, directors, or family child care educators may be eligible if they:
- Are Florida residents
- Have a high school diploma (accredited) or GED
- Are employed by a licensed, license-exempt, or registered early learning program, including child care facilities, family child care homes, and after school programs
- Work or volunteer with a birth through pre-K population for a minimum of 20 hours a week (or 520 hours per year in an afterschool program)
- Have the sponsorship of the early learning program which employs them
Deadline:
no deadline
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The Southern Scholarship Foundation
Description:
The Southern Scholarship Foundation is a non-profit organization which awards qualifying students with housing scholarships on the following campuses: FSU, UF, FAMU, FGCU, Tallahassee Comm College and Santa Fe College.
Criteria:
Interested applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA and a demonstrated financial need. Scholarship recipients live cooperatively in a house with students representing a variety of backgrounds and cultures. They do not pay rent, but are responsible for their fair share of basic household expenses such as food and utilities. The entire cost to the student averages $950 per semester. Only complete application packets will be reviewed for acceptance.
Deadline:
There is not an application deadline, however, submission by March 1 is encouraged as spots do fill quickly.
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Transfer Scholarship! SPC & FAMU IGNITE Program
Description:
The FAMU IGNITE Program provides guaranteed general admission to transfer students who obtain their A.A. degree from a Florida Community or State College.
Criteria:
If you earn a 3.0 or higher GPA at SPC, you'll be eligible for scholarship money at FAMU. To join, you must have no more than 30 college credits earned at the time of submission.
Deadline:
No deadline
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Transfer Scholarship! Florida Tech Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
Description:
Your complete application for admission to Florida Tech full-time undergraduate study at the university's Melbourne campus is your application for most of the merit-based opportunities that follow. There is no separate application to be considered for merit-based aid, but you may need to include certain documentation with your application. Please make sure to provide all the necessary materials. Select the Transfer Scholarships accordion. An additional $2,500 per year if the student applies and is admitted to Florida Tech and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Proof of Phi Theta Kappa membership must be submitted at time of application.
Criteria:
Scholarships are awarded at the time of admission. A student must be admitted and enroll as a full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate student in Melbourne in order to claim an awarded scholarship. Scholarships are available to domestic (U.S.) freshman unless otherwise indicated.
Deadline:
No deadline
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Fry Scholarship
Description:
The Fry Scholarship was created to honor Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry, 28, of Lorena, TX. Sergeant Fry had one week left in his tour in Iraq in 2006, when he volunteered to continue working for seven more hours disarming explosive devices, despite having already sustained an injury to his hand. He made the ultimate sacrifice on March 8, 2006, in Anbar province, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated. He left behind a widow and three children.
Criteria:
Section 701 of the Choice Act expands the Fry Scholarship to include the surviving spouses of Service members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. Prior to this law, only children of those who died in the line of duty were eligible for this benefit. The law states that eligible spouses are entitle to receive:
- 36 months of full benefits, equal to 100% level of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, this includes tuition and fee payment, a monthly housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies
- Training must start on or after January 1, 2015, training prior to January 1, 2015 is not eligible to receive benefits under Section 701
- A spouse has 15 years from the date of the Service Member's death to utilize benefits. If a spouse remarries, benefits end the date of the remarriage.
Deadline:
Begins Nov. 3, 2014
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LA Tutors $500 Innovation in Education scholarship
Description:
LA Tutors are passionate about sparking the creative genius in students and would love to commend those outstanding students who have a made a difference in the lives of others in some innovative or technological fashion.
Criteria:
Must currently be enrolled as a high school, college/university, or graduate student.
Must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.
Must be a citizen of, permanent resident of, or hold an active F1 I-20 or active J1 DS -2019 in the United States.
Must have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others. Must submit an essay describing the goal of the particular project and provide supporting documentation. There is no minimum or maximum word/page count.Deadline:
All submissions must be uploaded no later than 11:59 p.m. PST on the 20th of each month.
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Schaefer Halleen’s Social Equity Scholarship
Description:
Schaefer Halleen's Social Equity Scholarship is pleased to offer one scholarship each year to students who are committed to advocating for and advancing justice for all.
The scholarship provides a $1,000 award annually. The award recipient will be notified of their selection by July 31st, 2026.
Criteria:
Be accepted into an accredited college or law school in the United States, and
Be interested in pursuing a degree that supports gender, religious, or racial justice, or any accredited program that advances the pursuit of justice for all people.Deadline:
June 30, 2026
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Abbott and Fenner Scholarship Program
Description:
Abbott & Fenner Business Consultants continue the scholarship program for the 20th year.
Awarding $1,000 to the winner(s) each year.Criteria:
The Abbott and Fenner Scholarships are available to all high school juniors and seniors as well as all students currently registered in any accredited post secondary institution.
Students will submit an essay on the topic that appears on the scholarship page of web site. The essay should be between 500 and 1000 words.
Deadline:
June 10, 2026
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Florida Supervisors of Elections Scholarship
Description:
The Florida Supervisors of Elections (FSE) association is offering three $1,200 scholarships for college juniors and seniors.
Completed applications must be submitted to the Elections office of the county in which the applicant is registered to vote. Each county will select one finalist to send to the FSE Scholarship Committee for consideration.
Applications are available online at VotePinellas.gov/Scholarships or may be picked up at any of the three Supervisor of Elections offices: 315 Court St., Room 117, Clearwater; 13001 Starkey Rd., Largo; or 501 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg.
Criteria:
Applicants must be:
- Registered Florida voters and have lived in Florida for at least the preceding two years.
- Either a Political Science, Public Administration, Business Administration or Journalism/Mass Communication major.
- At least a junior in college.
- Full-time student at a Florida senior college/university.
- Have at least a “C” average or above for the previous year.
Deadline:
March 6, 2026