Scholastic support

AutoNation boosts scholarship program

AutoNation made a $3 million contribution to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program.

Step Up For Students, which helps administer the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, will use the funds to provide as many as 459 scholarships. Corporations receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for their contributions.

Lower-income children in Broward and Miami-Dade counties will use the awards to attend a K-12 school of choice that best meets their learning needs.

AutoNation team members also collected school supplies and backpacks to donate to Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School. More than 50 percent of the school’s students are recipients of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

The program allows recipients to choose between a scholarship to help with private school tuition and fees, or a transportation scholarship to attend an out-of-district public school.

For the 2017-18 school year, Step Up For Students will serve more than 102,000 students throughout Florida with tuition scholarships valued at an average of $6,330 per student. More than 1,700 private schools participate in the program statewide.

“We are gratified to know that our investment in Florida’s youth through Step Up For Students will help hundreds of deserving children reach their academic goals,” said AutoNation’s CFO and executive vice president Cheryl Miller.

COURTESY AutoNation’s Marc Cannon poses with Step Up scholars Raelyn Binns, left, and Ranaya Binns from Fort Lauderdale Preparatory School.