Florida Independent College Fund Awards $2,400 UPS Scholarship to Florida Tech Student Athlete

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Gregory Scott “Scotty” Parmer, a sophomore at Florida Institute of Technology, earned a $2,400 scholarship provided by the UPS Foundation and the Florida Independent College Fund (FICF). The FICF is a statewide association for private colleges and universities that is affiliated with the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). At the national level, the CIC collaborates with the UPS Foundation to distribute the scholarships.

Parmer graduated in 2011 from Auburndale Senior High School in Auburndale, Fla., with a grade point average of 3.68. He began attending Florida Tech in Fall 2011 and is working towards his bachelor’s degree in humanities/prelaw. Also an athlete, Parmer is a wide receiver for the Florida Tech Panthers football team.

This year, CIC awarded nearly $1.5 million in scholarships from its UPS Educational Endowment Fund to private institutions of higher learning across the nation, including a grant of $74,400 to the FICF. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of the students’ academic achievement and financial need.

“In 2011, The UPS Foundation and UPS employees directed $93.5 million in philanthropy and in-kind services. This includes more than 1.6 million hours of volunteer service, to the local communities in which we operate,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation. “UPS is proud to continue that spirit of giving by partnering with the CIC to support thousands of students working to become the leaders of tomorrow by obtaining an education from our nation’s private colleges.”

The UPS Scholarships are funded by the CIC-UPS Educational Endowment Fund, which is held and administered by CIC. Since its inception, this fund has generated nearly $49 million in scholarship aid to support more than 17,000 students.

“Through this national scholarship program, CIC and UPS are delighted to make it possible for 609 deserving young men and women to attend the private college or university of their choice,” said Richard Ekman, president of CIC. “By directly assisting students with significant financial need, CIC and UPS are helping a new generation of students achieve their dreams of a college education.”