Fayetteville State University has announced a scholarship that honors FTCC President Larry Keen.
The scholarship, called the FTCC Keen Scholarship, will provide two years of free tuition at FSU to qualified Fayetteville Technical Community College students who earn an associate degree at the community college, FTCC said in a news release.
Over the first four years of the program, the scholarship can serve 900 students with a total investment by FSU of $900,000, the release said. It will be available to 150 FTCC graduates in 2022-23; 200 graduates in 2023-24; 250 graduates in 2024-25; and 300 graduates in succeeding years, the release said.
FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison announced the scholarship program Thursday during a ceremony at FTCC. The ceremony was a surprise for Keen, who recently announced his plan to retire on Jan. 1, 2023.
FTCC students who have earned an associate’s degree and who meet the minimum requirements can earn a scholarship of up to $1,000, Allison said in the release.
“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,’’ Allison said. “What a testament to the legacy of such a leader, and what a major opportunity for Fayetteville and Cumberland County to capitalize on.”
Students who apply should have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 and meet all requirements for admissions to FSU. Priority will be given to high-demand workforce majors such as nursing, business analytics, intelligence studies and cybersecurity, the release said.
"The global pandemic has compounded the economic challenges faced by our state and nation,” said 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 appreciation for the scholarship program, calling it an honor to be linked with a program that will be “transformative for so many students and their families.”
