New Grant Program Intended to Boost STEM Workforce with Homegrown Talent

MELBOURNE, FLA. — A new grant program developed at Florida Tech and starting in Fall 2024 will allow high-achieving Brevard County students with unmet financial need to attend the renowned private university in Melbourne.

Under the Brevard Boundless Opportunity Grant program, admitted students who meet all eligibility requirements and enroll full-time at Florida Tech on the Melbourne campus will receive a scholarship to cover their tuition and fees.

The program was developed by Brian Ehrlich and Jay Lally in Florida Tech’s Office of Enrollment Management based on the President’s goal of strengthening local partnerships. It is designed to be a part of a comprehensive financial aid package that includes merit-based university, state and federal scholarships and grants.

“With this grant, an eligible Brevard County student who enrolls at Florida Tech will owe the university zero dollars for tuition and fees,” said Ehrlich, Florida Tech’s vice president for enrollment management.

The program can be a boost Florida Tech’s critical role in workforce development in Brevard County, home to a growing ecosystem of aerospace, aviation, high-tech manufacturing and defense industry powerhouses.

“When you think about companies here such as Northrop Grumman, SpaceX, NASA, Leonardo DRS, L3Harris and more, all of those types of businesses need workers with STEM degrees – and we know that talent is here on the Space Coast in our local kids,” Ehrlich said.

Mark J. Rendell, superintendent of Brevard Public Schools, said the grant is an “incredibly opportunity” for the district’s students and a boon for the community.

“Florida Tech is one of the preeminent universities for the study of science and technology – and it is located right here in Brevard County! I applaud the leadership at Florida Tech for recognizing the talent we already have here in our schools and creating the Boundless Opportunity grant,” Rendell said. “This will enable our students to attend Florida Tech tuition-free. This is an investment in the future and will pay dividends for our community.”

To receive this grant as part of a comprehensive financial aid package, a student must:

• Reside in Brevard County, Florida
• Complete the FAFSA and be federal Pell Grant eligible
• Qualify for the Florida Academic Scholarship or the Florida Medallion Scholarship (Bright Futures)
• Apply and be admitted to Florida Tech by May 1, 2024

The grant program will help strengthen core objectives in the university’s strategic plan Forward Together, Boundless Potential that was recently announced by President John Nicklow.

Among the four pillars of the plan are People of Excellence, which seeks in part remove barriers and increase access to knowledge, education and professional development opportunities across the Florida Tech community. The plan also seeks to enhance and expand university partnerships, a key step to maximize the opportunities for students to engage in external partnerships and ultimately help fill the talent pipeline.

“This new program is aimed at really supporting the Space Coast community,” Nicklow said. “As I have met with community and business leaders, they tell me how important it is for Florida Tech to help them fill critical roles in their workforce. This new grant program will help us be the catalyst that fuels those connections. And filling these roles with home-grown talent means that talent is more likely to stay in the area and be retained.”