Anonymous Donor Gives $5 Million to USF; State to Match It

[Ricky the Bull]

Anonymous Donor Gives $5 Million To USF; State To Match It

By ADAM EMERSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 1, 2008

TAMPA - The University of South Florida has received a $5 million gift from an anonymous donor mostly to back scholarship programs for low-income and minority students, university officials announced Friday.

The donation is the largest USF has ever received from an anonymous donor, and is eligible for a state match. With the match, the gift would be worth $10 million.

Under the donor's agreement, $8 million would bankroll scholarships in the USF Diversity Scholarship Initiative and benefit female and minority students.

The remaining $2 million would support academic programs that need the money the most.

"The most wonderful part of the gift is there's no restriction on it," said Jeffrey Robison, chief executive officer of the USF Foundation, which will administer the gift. "The university is going to have the capacity to make full awards if it wants to. This is one of the highest forms of philanthropy I've ever been a part of."

Earlier in February, the university received a $2 million donation from the Helios Education Foundation to benefit low-income and minority students. That gift also goes on a list of projects to be matched by the state's Major Gift Challenge Grant Program.

Most of that award will benefit the USF Latino Scholarship program, which has given about $1.5 million to Hispanic students at USF in the past 17 years. The rest of the Helios gift will go to minority students from low-income families who want to study science, technology, engineering and math.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/01/me-anonymous-donor-gives-5-million-to-usf-state-to/?news-metro

[bullcocky101]

I see a female....minority and latino scholorship (which already had quite a bit of funding)....where is the white and broke as hell scholarship!!!

[Jihme]

wow awesome!  go bulls!  hopefully they put it to good use.

thank you to whoever donated!

[Costa]

Although a great donation, we could have put it in the bank for the OCS!