Valencia College has received $20,000 from Valley Bank in support of the college’s “First One” campaign, a fund-raising effort to help first-generation, low-income students pursue a college education. Together with Florida’s First Generation Matching Grant Program (FGMG), which provides a 2-to-1 match of private dollars, the donation will help create $60,000 in scholarships for Valencia students who are the first in their families to go to college.
“We appreciate this donation from Valley. It helps bring us over the finish line to reach our $125,000 goal, which with state matching dollars, will provide a total of $375,000 in new scholarships,” said Geraldine Gallagher, Valencia Foundation president and CEO.
“We’re proud to partner with Valencia College and help provide higher education opportunities for students throughout the region,” remarked Sam Miles, Central Florida Regional President. “This donation will help ease the burden of student debt and supports our vision to make a meaningful and sustainable impact on the communities we serve.”
FGMG is a need-based grant program available to degree-seeking, Florida resident, undergraduate students who demonstrate substantial financial need, are enrolled at Valencia College, and whose parents have not earned baccalaureate or higher degrees.
Students who qualify will be eligible for a scholarship of up to $500 to help offset the costs associated with college, including tuition, books and supplies, expenses that cannot always be met with state or federal aid alone. Information on how to apply can be found at Valencia College Foundation’s scholarship application portal.
About Valley
As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp, Valley National Bank is a regional bank with approximately $31 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates more than 230 branches across New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama, and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting customer needs. Helping communities grow and prosper is the heart of Valley’s corporate citizenship philosophy. To learn more about Valley, go to valley.com or call our Customer Service Center at 800-522-4100.
Shown in photo (see attachment), left to right:
Sam Miles, Central Florida Regional President, Valley Bank
Sara Palmer, Corporate Philanthropy Manager, Valley Bank
Brian Henties, Director, Corporate Partnerships, Valencia College Foundation
Brandon McKelvey, Vice President of Analytics and Planning, Valencia College
Eugene Jones, Executive Dean, Downtown Campus, Valencia College
Mark Fernandez, Chief Marketing Officer, Valley Bank
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