What does $1.5 million get you in Lakeland, FL? An update to a long-time scholarship program, full of opportunity, that’s what.

Florida Polytechnic University received a $1.5 million dollar gift from the family of one of the school’s biggest advocates, John R. Alexander. John passed away in 2018 and was a beloved supporter of the university since its inception.

The John R. Alexander Program will stand to serve as his legacy. The core purpose of the program will be to help Florida Poly recruit students, all while paying for their education to ease the burdens of student debt.

The funding comes from Sarah Jane Alexander, John’s wife, stating that ”He [John] worked tirelessly to raise awareness and support for this new educational institution. Once Florida Poly became a University, he started the JD Alexander Scholarship fund in honor of our son who was instrumental in helping establish the school; however, after John’s death JD asked that the program be renamed the John R. Alexander Scholars Program.”

The gift also serves as an opportunity to welcome further donations with one-to-one matching contributions to the program, with a goal of $3 million.

Once accepted, scholars will:

🎉 Receive a brand new laptop
🎉 Retain a $40,000 scholarship over 4 years
🎉 Celebrate their studies with special recognition from the University
🎉 Obtain guaranteed admission into Florida Poly’s graduate program if the GPA requirement is met