The College of Central Florida Foundation will continue to provide financial assistance to college students who may not quality for other financial aid through the 2026-27 academic year, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The scholarship prioritizes students who are parents and are working to improve opportunities for themselves and their families through higher education.

This marks the seventh consecutive year the CF Foundation has received funding from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County through the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund, bringing their total scholarship support to $480,000.

Since 2020, the Edward K. Roberts Scholarship has helped more than 200 CF students pursue their educational goals and remain enrolled despite financial challenges. Funding is available for students studying at the CF Ocala Campus, Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus and Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus.

“We are thankful for the continued support of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund, said Jerry Benton, chair of the CF Foundation board of directors. “This scholarship opens doors for students who are working hard to create brighter futures for themselves and their families.”

The scholarship reflects a shared commitment to expanding access to higher education and supporting student success across the state of Florida.

About the CF Foundation
The CF Foundation, founded in 1959, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that enhances the college’s programs and services through the development and management of private contributions and community partnerships. To learn more, visit CF.edu/Foundation.

About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $605 million in more than 1,600 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $44.7 million last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has granted more than $542 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families and businesses. For more information, visit CFSarasota.org.

On view in the Appleton’s Balcony Gallery for Florida Artists from July 4 through Jan. 24, “Life, Labor and Lens: Randal Levenson’s Working-Class America” surveys the photographer’s five-decade journey across the United States and the people and places he encountered along the way. His images offer a layered account of the American experience: gritty yet beautiful, sentimental yet honest.

After receiving a Brownie camera from his father as a boy, Levenson developed a lifelong passion for photography. He studied the medium at the Rhode Island School of Design before going on to work with Robert Frank and develop prints for Richard Avedon. In addition to his career as a photographer, he taught at the University of Ottawa and lectured at Harvard and Brown University.

Drawn from the 80 works by Levenson in the Appleton’s permanent collection, “Life, Labor and Lens” features 25 black-and-white and color photographs that evoke a sense of familiarity and nostalgia.

Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. Additionally, museum admission is free throughout the month of July in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455, or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

Six current members of the College of Central Florida District Board of Trustees were reappointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 29.

Joyce Brancato, vice chair, is an adjunct associate professor with the University of Maryland Global Campus and previously served as chief executive officer of Seven Rivers Medical Center.

Rusty Branson is the president of SouthState Bank and is a member of the Marion County Hospital District board of directors.

Bobby Durrance is a retired Levy County Public Schools administrator and educator and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Bill Edgar is a self-employed business consultant and a veteran of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Fred Roberts Jr. is a partner and attorney for Klein & Klein, PLLC, and has served as a board member for the Marion County Bar Association.

Charlie Stone, chair, is the president and owner of Stone Petroleum Products, Inc. and a previously elected member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Marion County Board of Commissioners.

These appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

The seventh member of the CF District Board of Trustees is Jose Juarez, who was appointed by Gov. DeSantis in August 2025.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to attend Application Day on Monday, June 15, from 2-5 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

At this event, future students can apply to the college with no fee, start the financial aid application, speak with advisors about program and degree options, and tour the campus. The college will give away free CF merchandise and attendees may enter to receive a scholarship to cover tuition for one class at the in-state rate.

Additional Application Day events will be held Saturday, June 13, from 9-11 a.m. at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, and Tuesday, June 16, 2-5 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

For more information, visit CF.edu/ApplicationDay.

The College of Central Florida invites anyone thinking about college to attend Application Day on Tuesday, June 16, from 2-5 p.m. at the Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, 15390 N.W. Highway 19, Chiefland.

At this event, future students can apply to the college with no fee, start the financial aid application, speak with advisors about program and degree options, and tour the campus. The college will give away free CF merchandise and attendees may enter to receive a scholarship to cover tuition for one class at the in-state rate.

Additional Application Day events will be held Saturday, June 13, from 9-11 a.m. at the Ocala Campus, 3001 S.W. College Road, and Monday, June 15, 2-5 p.m. at the Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, 3800 S. Lecanto Highway, Lecanto.

For more information, visit CF.edu/ApplicationDay.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, joins museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2026 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, and end Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.

In addition to the Appleton Museum of Art, the Blue Star Museums program includes children’s museums, art, science and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses and more, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to grow as organizations can register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps — and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Conventions common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

The Appleton extends free entry to U.S. military veterans, who receive free admission year-round. Veterans can show a Veteran ID Card (VIC), Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) or the Veterans designation on their state-issued driver’s license or ID for entrance.

“Museum founder Arthur I. Appleton served as a Navy Lieutenant during World War II. We are honored to once again partner with Blue Star Museums and also extend free entry to veterans and their families,” said Appleton Director Jason Steuber.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month. For more information, call 352-291-4455, or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

The College of Central Florida now is offering students the Gator Tracks Transfer Pathway, designed for learners who want to earn an Associate in Arts degree at CF and then have an expedited admissions decision from the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Tuition at CF is about half the cost of a Florida public university, making CF a smart economical option for students to start their academic journey. CF also offers support systems including small class sizes, award-winning faculty and free tutoring and counseling available for every student. More than half of CF students are enrolled in the Associate in Arts degree, which prepares them to transfer to a university after two years at CF.

“The College of Central Florida is proud to be at the forefront of high-tech agriculture education, and establishing this transfer pathway allows more students to start at CF for half the cost of a university,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “Students can begin as a CF Patriot, get a head start with an affordable and high-quality education, and then graduate as a Florida Gator. This new partnership with the University of Florida gives our students a guided pathway to set them up for success.”

Through the Gator Tracks partnership, qualifying students interested in one of 20 eligible majors, such as agricultural operations management, geomatics, entomology and nematology or wildlife ecology and conservation, can now work hand-in-hand with a UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences academic advisor as they prepare to transition from their associate degree to a UF bachelor’s degree. As a top public university, UF’s admission process is highly competitive, and this partnership ensures CF graduates have a clear path to attaining that top-tier education.

“Florida is filled with talented students, and many of them start their collegiate journey with an associate degree at a state or community college,” said Kati Migliaccio, dean of UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. “With Gator Tracks, we’re removing barriers and providing a clear, supported pathway for those students to achieve their academic goals.”

For more information about the Gator Tracks Transfer Pathway, visit CF.edu/GatorTracks.

Students training for health care professions will benefit from a new full-time Respiratory Care faculty position and new scholarships established through a $6 million endowment announced at the April 20 meeting of the Citrus County Hospital Board.

This most recent donation by the Citrus County Hospital Board will fund in perpetuity a full-time faculty member to teach Respiratory Care at the CF Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, where a new program with updated simulation lab facilities launched in spring 2025.

The gift also will fund up to 28 full ride scholarships each year for Citrus County residents to pursue any CF Health Sciences program at any CF campus. At up to $3,000 each, most scholarships are expected to cover a student’s full tuition and fees.

The hospital board has given a total of more than $19 million to the CF Foundation, which has allowed the college to generate an additional $11.7 million in matching funds from the Florida Legislature. In 2024, the hospital board established the CCHB Nursing Promise Scholarship, which covers 100% of tuition for all Citrus County residents admitted to CF’s Associate Degree Nursing program. This new endowment builds on that impact to increase the number of trained health care workers in our local community.

“The continued generosity of the Citrus County Hospital Board is providing life-changing opportunities for local families,” said Dr. Jim Henningsen, CF president. “This incredible donation makes it possible for students to get a quality education close to home without the burden of debt – and we know most of our graduates stay right here to work in their professions in our local community. As Citrus County grows and the need for skilled health care workers increases, the College of Central Florida will be ready to meet that need.”

This investment in health education will impact generations of Citrus County residents.

“The extraordinary commitment the Citrus County Hospital Board has made is a long-term investment in Citrus County residents and health care workers,” said Jerry Benton, chair of the CF Foundation Board and CEO of Campus USA Credit Union.

Members of the hospital board, including Allen Bartell, Dr. Mark Fallows, Dr. Jeff Wallis, and Rick Harper reaffirmed their support of this health care education initiative at the April 22 CF District Board of Trustees meeting.

“We’re putting our money and our trust in the right place,” said Dr. Mark Fallows, chair of the Citrus County Hospital Board.

The scholarships will be managed by the CF Foundation. To qualify, students must be Citrus County residents accepted into a CF Health Sciences program and must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the CF Foundation scholarship application annually.

For more information about CF Health Sciences programs, visit CF.edu/Health. To explore opportunities for supporting students through endowments, visit CF.edu/Foundation.