TALLAHASSEE, FL. –The Florida Prepaid College Foundation (FPCF) today announced it is partnering with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) to award $4.2 million in college scholarships to students living in the most poverty-stricken zip codes in the state, providing 2-Year College Scholarships to 1,000 students over the next four years.
FPL’s donation of $2.1 million, matched dollar-for-dollar by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, is the largest contribution to date since the Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program launched two years ago.
The Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program is a partnership with the Florida Chamber Foundation, to reduce childhood poverty in our state by providing a pathway to college for Florida students.
“Lack of educational opportunity is one of the root causes of generational poverty,” said Florida Prepaid College Foundation Chairman John Rood. “This generous donation from FPL will provide significant opportunities in some of the poorest areas of our state, providing a path to higher education for deserving students.”
Right now, more than 700,000 Florida children are living in poverty. Half of these children are concentrated in just 15 percent of Florida’s zip codes – resulting in extremely impoverished communities where children face a much greater likelihood of academic challenges, health risks and other obstacles.
“Florida is our home, and we are dedicated to creating a brighter future for all who live here,” said FPL Vice President of External Affairs and Economic Development Pam Rauch. “Through this partnership, we are proud to open doors to a more hopeful future for students who have so much promise and potential – and perhaps welcome them one day to the FPL team. I encourage other Florida corporations and organizations to join us in this effort to nurture talent and skill among our future workforce.”
Scholarships will be awarded in phases, with the first 250 scholarships being allocated to FPL service areas that align with the 150 highest-poverty zip codes. Eligible high school students must meet scholarship criteria including staying crime-free and drug-free.
The Florida Prepaid College Foundation and Florida Chamber Foundation have partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters Association of Florida, Take Stock in Children, and the Florida Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs to identify students and provide mentoring as part of the scholarship award. The scholarships can be used at Florida public colleges and universities as well as technical and vocational schools.
“The Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program is built on the foundational truth that college education can open the door to a more prosperous future while building the talent our state needs to grow and thrive,” said Mark Wilson, Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO. “We are grateful to Florida Power & Light Company and their commitment to helping Florida students.”
Learn more about the Path to Prosperity Scholarship Program and the Florida Prepaid College Foundation at www.pathtoprosperityscholarship.com.
About the Florida Prepaid College Foundation
Since its founding in 1990, the Foundation has committed to giving aspiring students the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and our state by providing college scholarships funded through partnerships with individuals, businesses, educational foundations and the Florida Legislature. The Foundation administers several innovative scholarship programs, including Project STARS and the new Challenge Match Scholarship Programs, designed to help students achieve their dream of earning a college education. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than 57,000 Florida Prepaid College Plan scholarships, and more than 33,000 Foundation scholarship recipients have gone to college using their benefits. The Foundation is the 501(c)(3) direct support organization for the Florida Prepaid College Board. To learn more about the Florida Prepaid College Foundation, visit here.
About Florida Power & Light Company
As America’s largest electric utility, Florida Power & Light Company serves more customers and sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.8 million accounts, or more than 12 million people. FPL operates one of the most fuel efficient and cleanest power generation fleets in the U.S and in 2022 won the ReliabilityOne® National Reliability Award for the seventh time in the last eight years. The company was also recognized by Escalent in 2022 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities for the ninth consecutive year. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune’s 2023 list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” and recognized on Fortune’s 2021 list of companies that “Change the World.” NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.