First Coast Community Development Inc., has an additional incentive for those whose work focuses on HIV prevention, as well as awarding extra money to the student with the best video from each category.
The scholarship is split evenly between 25 undergraduate students and 25 graduating seniors, and Carly told First Coast that even though the students who will be receiving the scholarships aren’t too much younger than her, it sends a positive message that so many want to be a positive influence on their communities. “We want to be in a position to put others out in the community and make a difference,” Carly Griffin explained. “I’m so grateful that we can do this for another year and grateful that there are so many eager students just a bit younger than me but still have that drive to make a difference.”
As FAFSA and the Education Department’s rollout of the FAFSA Simplification Act has made it difficult for students to obtain federal aid, scholarships like this one will help as students continue to wait. As CNBC reported, only about 4 million students have applied for federal aid, significantly fewer than the 17 million students who typically utilize FAFSA. Although the new version of FAFSA is expected to benefit more low-income students, the delays have forced universities to push their deadlines back to accommodate the federal government’s mishandled rollout.
Source: Black Enterprise
