Duane Ackerman Family Scholarship

 
F. Duane Ackerman is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the BellSouth Corporation that merged with AT&T in December 2006.

A native of Plant City, Florida and a graduate of Plant City High School, Mr. Ackerman earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree from Rollins College. He also holds a master’s degree in business from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Created in 2014, the Duane Ackerman Family Scholarship provides financial aid to select graduates of Plant City High School. The scholarships are awarded to recipients based on their financial need, high school academic and extra-curricular achievements, personal character and work ethic, likelihood of collegiate success, and potential long-term individual contribution to the welfare of the communities in which they ultimately reside. 

Each year, Plant City High School officials recommend possible scholarship candidates. After a scholarship committee reviews potential candidates, select candidates are invited to complete a scholarship application and participate in a personal interview.

The Scholarship assists with the payment of net tuition (after application of other scholarships and grants), room and board, and books and fees associated with the recipient’s attendance at an accredited college or university. The scholarship award amount may not exceed the annual published cost of tuition, room and board, and fees at the Florida public college or university the student is attending, or, in the case of private or out-of-state public universities, the published cost of room and board at the University of Florida.