This is awarded annually to a student(s) who has overcome a hardship or series of difficulties in their life and has had to persevere in order to attend an institution of higher learning.
The Scholarship was established in 2015 by the late Carlos F. Garcia and Debbie Garcia La Rocca. Recognizing the importance of higher education, the Garcia family established the Garcia Perseverance Scholarship Fund to help our community’s best and brightest achieve their dreams of higher education.
The Garcia Perseverance Scholarship is designed as a supplemental scholarship that will help recipients attending state schools in Florida fill unmet financial needs.
ELIGIBLE STUDENTS
- Private Schools in Miami-Dade County
- Miami-Dade County Public Schools (including charter and traditional)
Scholarship Requirements:
- Intend to study full time at a university in the State University System of Florida
- Intend to study full time at a university in the State University System of Florida
- Have an overall unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher
- SAT or ACT test report upload
- Letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, coach, mentor or supervisor on a job/project
- Experienced and overcome a hardship in his/her life
- Student Aid Index (from the FAFSA Student Aid Report)
VALUE
The value of the Scholarship is up to $4,000. It is paid over the course of up to four years in installments.
Scholarship checks are sent directly from the Coral Gables Community Foundation to the bursar’s office of the recipient’s college or university.
MAINTENANCE
In order to maintain the scholarship for four years, the recipient must send transcripts to the Foundation upon the completion of each academic year
Recent Awards
- 2021: Sarah Perkel, Jahnee Smith, Osmel Fernandez
- 2022: Alejandro Villarreal, Faith MacKenzie, Dioslyn Oliva, Chris Rico
- 2023: Jahmyra Smikle, Glenis Garcia Mendoza
- 2024: Isabella Lozada Flechas, Tania Fuentes Canas
- 2025: Joshua Garcia-Joulain, Andrea Rotondaro
- 2026: Linda Garcia Altamirano, Isabella Melendro