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Metta Heathcote Fund

Metta Heathcote Fund

Scholarships for residents of ST. PETERSBURG and PINELLAS COUNTY

Metta Heathcote, a lifelong St. Petersburg resident, often expressed her pride in being a native-born Floridian and in the growth and progress of her state.

Miss Heathcote spent much of her time in club and fraternity work and travel. During the later years of her life, she devoted more and more of her time to travel and saw the world as few others have. These extensive tours to all parts of the globe made her realize the need for educating today’s youth so that they might be better equipped to face the problems of a fast-changing world. With this realization came her desire to assist young people of her state who, without financial aid, would not be able to attain a college education.

Before her death, Miss Heathcote decided she would pass on the advantage of her wealth to young people for their education. In her will, she established a trust fund of more than $1 million. The earnings from this trust are awarded as scholarships to deserving and needy students from St. Petersburg and Pinellas County for enrollment at the University of Florida. Through these scholarships, the Metta Heathcote Fund provides an enduring investment in Florida’s future students and serves as a memorial to the vision and generosity of its donor.

Metta Heathcote scholarships are available to students from St. Petersburg and Pinellas County who apply for admission to the University of Florida and whose financial aid applications demonstrate financial need. Metta Heathcote scholarships range from $300 to $1,000 a year.

The trustee of the fund is Wachovia of Florida at Jacksonville, Florida. The scholarships are administered by the University of Florida Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Qualifications of freshmen applicants are individually weighed, with high school academic average and the Florida Twelfth Grade test used as major factors in determining who will receive the scholarships. After a student has been chosen to receive a scholarship, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships determines the amount of the award according to the student’s financial need as shown on a need analysis report from the federal student aid need analysis processor (see “How To Apply” below).

The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships annually renews Metta Heathcote scholarships based on each student’s reapplication, maintenance of satisfactory academic progress, and demonstrated financial need.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a Metta Heathcote scholarship a student must;

  1. Be a U. S. citizen or national or have permanent resident status;
  2. Be a resident of St. Petersburg or Pinellas County and a graduate of a Pinellas County high school;
  3. Have financial need as determined by his or her need analysis report;
  4. Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
  5. Be enrolled as an undergraduate.
  6. Must be enrolled at least half-time.

How to Apply

No special application is required to apply for the Metta Heathcote Scholarship. Students are automatically considered for a Heathcote Scholarship if they complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal student aid need analysis processor at FAFSA.gov as soon as possible, indicating that they wish the results to be sent to the University of Florida. No other application is necessary. The 2025-26 FAFSA will be available on or before December 1, 2024 from Florida high school guidance offices and community college financial aid offices and online.

Students who have attended another post-secondary institution before entering the University of Florida must also be sure that the University of Florida receives a Financial Aid Transcript from all post-secondary schools they have previously attended.