FORT MYERS — Collaboratory’s scholarship application deadline for the 2022-2023 school year is approaching.

The scholarship application process will close Jan. 12, 2022 at 5 p.m.

All scholarships require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form available at www.fafsa.gov.

More than $1 million in scholarship money is available through more than 100 scholarships for local high-school students, adult learners, undergraduate and graduate students from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. Last year, one in four students who applied received a scholarship from the Foundation.

Students can now apply for scholarships through the Collaboratory’s online portal at https://collaboratory.org. Students may review the scholarships available online as well as a tutorial about how to create and submit the online application. Students may apply for multiple scholarships and have the ability to upload transcripts, a letter of recommendation and the FAFSA Student Aid Report.

Educators, mentors, parents and students can find resources to complete the FAFSA through the local FAFSA first website recently launched by the FutureMakers Coalition at http://fafsafirst.org/. The goal of the FutureMakers Coalition is to transform the workforce by increasing the number of Southwest Florida residents with degrees, certificates and other high-quality credentials by the year 2025.

“We have scholarships specifically for adult learners, stop-out students and single mothers, many who left school just a few credits short of earning a degree,” said Malaina Mote, Scholarship Lead, Collaboratory. “Many of these scholarships go unawarded each year because no one applies for them. We want to encourage everyone to apply. No matter your status, we have a scholarship for you.”

For those that are interested in learning more about how they can contribute to the Collaboratory’s scholarship funding opportunities, visit collaboratory.org,
email scholarships@collaboratory.org or call 239-308-1214.

About Collaboratory
Collaboratory is committed to coordinating the solving of all of Southwest Florida’s social problems on an eighteen-year deadline including homelessness, poverty, mental illness, racism, illiteracy and more. We plan to do this with the entire community working together including people of all ages, colors, beliefs and imaginations across all five counties. We’re committed to coordinating all of this on a massive scale, in the way NASA coordinated the hundreds of thousands of businesses, universities, institutions and people to get us to the moon in nine years. We’re not oblivious to people saying this is ridiculous, insane and crazy but we’re driven by the inspiration of all those great figures in history who have come before us to achieve things no one ever thought remotely possible. Steve Jobs’ observation sums it up for us: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” We’re building the largest, most democratized living laboratory for community problem-solving in history.
Collaboratory was founded in 1976 as the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. It has made over $83 million in grants since then and is home to more than 400 philanthropic funds. It is upon that legacy of a commitment to community we plan to fulfill on that mission at the level of its greatest expression. As Collaboratory, we will finish what we started.
To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org.