Florida Banking March 2023

FLORIDA BANKERS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

THE FBEF WANTS TO HELP YOU ADVANCE YOUR CAREER IN BANKING

BY LETTY NEWTON, DIRECTOR OF FLORIDA BANKERS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

S ince 1956, the Florida Bankers Educational Foundation (FBEF) has served as a financial resource for future Florida bankers, helping them complete their educations so they can advance in their banking careers. Will you be next? Now that we are in a new year, you should take this opportunity to work on your professional development and go back to school. Contact the FBEF and let us help! The FBEF offers forgivable loans which are paid in full after graduation and the completion of one year of employment with a Florida bank or trust company. Before applying, students must have already been employed at least part-time by a Florida bank or trust company for two years. The FBEF Scholarship/Loan Program offers financial assistance of $4,000 for junior and senior students and $5,000 for graduate students. Students attending one of the FBEF’s participating colleges and universities, majoring in a banking-related field of study, and planning to continue their career in Florida banking are eligible to apply. Since many of the FBEF Scholarship/Loan recipients work full-time, students are only required to take 12 credit hours per calendar year. Any banker who has five years of full-time employment in Florida banking prior to applying for the FBEF Scholarship/Loan is eligible for a grant. Grant recipients are excused from the required one year of full time employment in Florida banking after graduation. Freshmen and sophomore students who are career bankers, with five years or more of full-time, Florida banking employment, are also eligible for an additional $3,000 in funding, increasing the amount of potential funding for undergraduate grant recipients to $7,000.

Over the years, the FBEF has seen more and more career bankers wanting assistance to continue their education outside of traditional college degree programs. The Florida Bankers Association (FBA) has been committed to helping banks since 1888, and we continue to do that today with new ways to help our bank employees. In addition to providing financial assistance to bankers who wish to return to school to complete their college degree, the FBEF is pleased to announce the FBEF Career Development Program . Bankers who will be attending an approved professional development program, but do not have financial support from their employer, will be able to apply for FBEF financial assistance that can help pay for tuition. Students attending the Florida School of Banking and the Florida Trust & Wealth Management School may apply for tuition assistance. In addition, students attending the LSU and Stonier Graduate School of Banking or most ABA or ICBA endorsed graduate school of banking programs may also apply. The FBEF would love to help you make 2023 your best year yet. We look forward to hearing from you! ​For more information about how the FBEF might be able to help you, please contact FBEF Director Letty Newton at (850) 701-3522 or lnewton@ floridabankers.com. FBEF applications can be found online at www.FloridaBankers.com/FBEF. Since 1956 the FBEF has helped bankers around the state advance their careers through education. The FBEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Registration #CH7621.

18 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING