Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2025-26 School Year

We are now accepting applications for our 2025-26 scholarship program. Prospective applicants may click here to review scholarship requirements and complete the online application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 5 at 11:59 p.m. and scholarship awards will be announced in late spring.

“Scholarships have been an instrumental part of Gulf Coast Community Foundation for decades, ensuring that our region prepares for the skilled workforce we need for the future. Our scholarship program matches students of all ages to academic opportunities that propel them to reach their full potential through the power of education,” expressed Gulf Coast’s President | CEO Phillip Lanham. “Scholarships provide the bedrock for eager students to gain access and thrive in their learning. Together with our donors, we have invested more than $11.5 million to promising students through scholarships."

Through our annual scholarship program, we assist students of all ages in pursuing higher education at accredited two and four-year colleges, universities, or technical schools. Applicants must reside in Sarasota County, Charlotte County, DeSoto County, Lakewood Ranch, and Longboat Key, and they must plan to attend a qualifying postsecondary institution during the 2025-26 academic year.

We award scholarships from more than 66 scholarship funds that we administer, including many established by donors to support particular fields of study or assist students from specific schools or communities. Candidates can complete a single application to be considered for all scholarship opportunities for which they qualify.

Since establishing its scholarship program in 1997, we have awarded more than $11.5 million in scholarships to help students pursue their dreams of higher education. Last year, the Foundation awarded 531 scholarships totaling over $696,000 to deserving local students.