February 3, 2022
Scholarship will benefit hundreds of Fayetteville Technical Community College graduates in its first four years
Fayetteville State University today announced a major scholarship that will provide two years of free tuition at FSU to qualified Fayetteville Technical Community College students who earn an Associate degree at FTCC.
The scholarship, called the FTCC Keen Scholarship in honor of FTCC President J. Larry Keen, will be available to 150 FTCC graduates in 2022-23; 200 FTCC graduates in 2023-24; 250 FTCC graduates in 2024-25; and 300 FTCC graduates in succeeding years. Over the first four years of the program, the scholarship can serve 900 students with a total investment by FSU of $900,000.
FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison announced the scholarship program on Thursday, Feb. 3, at a ceremony at FTCC. The announcement ceremony was a surprise for Keen, who has been FTCC’s president since 2007 and who recently announced his plan to retire on Jan. 1, 2023.
“It is my honor to announce that beginning this fall, FSU and FTCC have partnered to offer a new scholarship – the FTCC Keen Scholarship – which is a pathway for FTCC students who have earned an Associate degree and who meet the minimum requirements to earn a scholarship of up to $1,000,” Allison said.
“FSU has established, in partnership with FTCC, the FTCC Keen Scholarship in honor of Dr. Larry Keen, my colleague, friend and outstanding president of FTCC,” Allison said. “Just think of the major impact we could have in the first four years of this program where nearly 900 FTCC Keen Scholars would have matriculated onto FSU’s campus receiving $900,000 in scholarship funding. What a testament to the legacy of such a leader, and what a major opportunity for Fayetteville and Cumberland County to capitalize on.”
The FTCC Keen Scholarship for FTTC students will provide a seamless transition for matriculating students to Fayetteville State University. Students who apply should have earned an associate degree from FTCC, have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 and meet all requirements for admissions to FSU. Priority will be given to high demand work-force majors such as nursing, business analytics, intelligence studies and cybersecurity.
“The global pandemic has compounded the economic challenges faced by our state and nation,” said Dr. Mark Sorrells, FTCC’s Senior Vice President for Academics and Student Services. “These unique challenges have negatively impacted students at all levels, especially those from economically distressed areas. FTCC is proud to join forces with FSU to announce a special partnership that will assist students in achieving greater economic and social mobility through increased educational opportunities that align with our community’s needs. The partnership is funded by the generosity of FSU and support from the UNC System.”
Keen expressed his deep appreciation for the scholarship program.
“It is a tremendous honor to be linked to an initiative that will be so transformative for so many students and their families,” he said. “Thank you, Chancellor Allison and FSU. Our strong partnership will benefit our students, our community and our state. This means everything to me.”
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About Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville State University is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina System and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state, having been founded in 1867. FSU is a historically black university offering degrees at the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral levels. With more than 6,700 students, Fayetteville State University is among the most diverse institutions in the nation. To learn more about Fayetteville State University, visit www.uncfsu.edu.
About Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville Technical Community College is the third largest of 58 public community colleges in North Carolina. FTCC offers a wide variety of affordable and flexible educational programs for students at all stages of life, including those seeking associate degrees that are transferable to a four-year college, those who want training to move directly into the workplace, and those seeking new skills for career advancement or personal enrichment. FTCC has more than 15,000 students in its curriculum programs and more than 16,000 in its corporate and continuing education programs. For more information, visit www.faytechcc.edu.