Southern Scholarship Foundation (SSF) provides rent-free, cooperative living housing for students who lack financial resources, demonstrate excellent academic merit, and exemplify good character.

One of the ways students qualify for SSF is by lacking financial need, which is determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); SSF’s maximum EFC threshold is $7,500. National statistics show that most people who experience economic inequities are historically underrepresented. A 2020 report conducted by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators found that the rate of people who have an EFC of 0 is especially high among African American (58%), American Indian or Alaska Native (51%), and Hispanic or Latino (48%) students.

SSF’s goal for the FSU Great Give is to provide one year of rent-free housing to two students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Students who are underrepresented face significant barriers to achieving a college education due in large part to affordability and lack of resources. SSF, however, strives to eliminate those barriers by helping residents and their families save a total of $14,000 in living expenses per year. Additionally, 76% of SSF residents who graduated in 2021 left with $0 student debt, and residents who graduated in Fall 2021 reported the following: 61% graduated with a 3.5 GPA or higher, 7% graduated with associate degrees, and 92% graduated with bachelor's degrees.

"Diversity and leadership positions are a wonderful strength of SSF. Having people from all different backgrounds and giving a safe home for all those voices to be heard is an amazing part of this program." – Gloria M., SSF Alumna, 2021

In addition to helping students who are underrepresented save money while attending college, SSF also promotes diversity within its housing model. Residents act as a cohesive unit while living with individuals from different ethnicities, religions, countries, and backgrounds, to ensure their houses function properly by cooking and cleaning together, maintaining the household budget, and participating in socials. Each of these experiences teaches valuable life skills and offers a support system for residents who may not have benefited from them elsewhere.