Office of First Year Experience and Retention Programs | Florida Gulf Coast University | December 2018
A Note from the Office:
Hello parents and family members! It’s crazy to think, but your students are officially done with their first semester in college and will be heading home soon to spend the winter break with you! Having your student home for a long period of time for the first time in months brings a range of emotions from excitement to special time with them, to curiosity of how the semester has gone, and maybe some nervousness for everyone being under one roof again. We would like to share a few tips of how to make the most out of the time you have with your students:

-Talk to your student about your expectations for their time with you over break
o  What are the house rules?
o   Curfew?
o   How often do you want him/her home an attending family events?
o   Do they go back to doing chores like before they left?
o   How much time are they going to sleep?
-Discuss the option of applying for FGCU Scholarships
-Make time to talk about how their first semester went
o   How did their classes go?
o   Did they get involved on campus? Join clubs or organizations?
-Your student might have “changed” during their time here at FGCU, try and take time to listen to their new found ideas/passions

We hope you enjoy your time with your student! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Office of First Year Experience
Dec 14th - Jan 6th
Winter Break for students

Dec 22nd-Jan 1st
Winter Break, University Closed

Jan 1st
Priority Consideration for FGCU Foundation Scholarships

Jan 7th
First day of Spring Classes

Jan 11th
Last day to add/drop or change class

Mar 1st
FGCU Foundation Scholarship deadline
Money Matters!
 
Scholarships are gifts. They don't need to be repaid. There are scholarships offered by FGCU, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional organizations.

Scholarships are a straightforward way to reduce any family’s higher education costs. College students can continue applying for scholarships all the way through their senior year in COLLEGE. Whatever your financial situation, encourage your college student to apply for scholarships.
 
Begin your search today by visiting: http://www.fgcu.edu/scholarships

Give Back to FGCU

Florida Gulf Coast University made great progress in 2018. This year we funded 1,826 scholarships, broke ground on two new student-focused facilities, and brought a series of influential leaders and educators to campus. We also launched the Student Success Enrollment Management Task Force to access, recommend and implement bold initiatives to improve students’ success and graduation rates. One of the significant outcomes of this program was a five percent increase in the four year graduation rate for this year.

To keep this momentum going, we need your help! Philanthropic support allows us to enhance the overall student experience. Parent and family charitable gifts make an immediate impact for your son’s or daughter’s while at FGCU. Your donation helps to ensure all students continue to enjoy a dynamic and distinctive learning community—with renowned faculty, state-of-the art classrooms and labs, excellent student support services, and a wide range of extracurricular activities both on campus and in the Southwest Florida community.
Your gift can be designated in many ways such as the Student Success Fund, the Greater University Fund or Scholarships. Your support can also be directed to your son’s or daughter’s school or college, major or program of study, an athletic team or student club. 
As you consider your philanthropic plans for 2018, please make an annual investment in the future of our students and help them soar.
Go Eagles!

Homecoming
January 30-February 3, 2019
Join us for the second annual Homecoming celebration. We will honor our outstanding graduates at the Alumni Awards followed by the popular Alumni Tailgate as we prepare to cheer on the Eagles.

Winter Break and Scholarships?
Did you know that the FGCU Foundation awards over $3.8 million dollars in need and merit based scholarships annually? This single  scholarship application  allows students to complete ONE  application  and be considered for ALL available FGCU Foundation Scholarships.

All students are strongly encouraged to fill out our Foundation scholarship application ! The priority deadline is January 1st, 2019 , so apply now at http://www.fgcu.edu/scholarships . The final deadline is March 1, 2019 . To maximize other financial aid eligibility, we recommend that students also complete the 2019-20 FAFSA at http://www.fafsa.gov by the same priority deadline of January 1, 2019.
McTarnaghan Hall 229
M – F | 8:00am – 5:00pm

Call Us
239-590-7875