UFCU and ACC create $5M scholarship fund and announce community pavilion

University Federal Credit Union has announced a new $5 million scholarship endowment to benefit students at Austin Community College District.

The funding and partnership give UFCU naming rights to a new event space to be built at ACC’s Highland Campus in north-central Austin. The agreement underscores both institutions’ commitment to promoting education and improving financial opportunities for all.

Funds from the endowment will be disbursed over five years in the form of scholarships to ACC students who participate in the UFCU  Career Scholars program. The program covers all tuition and fees and provides wrap-around support services to help students acquire life-changing credentials.  Austin Community College is an accredited two-year college serving Central Texas that provides affordable, flexible pathways to help students reach their education goals, learn new job skills, or advance their career. The college enrolls more than 70,000 students annually.

“We have long partnered with ACC and are excited to take our alliance to the next level,” said UFCU President Michael Crowl. “This scholarship program will provide all-inclusive support to hardworking students so they can focus on achieving their career aspirations through ACC. We can’t wait to see the positive impact it will have on the communities we serve.”

A multi-purpose community gathering space named for UFCU will be located at the future St. John Encampment Commons, a park slated to open at ACC Highland Campus in fall 2022. The building will be a state-of-the-art pavilion to accommodate small, medium, and large-scale special events.

ACC spokesperson Sydney Pruitt said, “The new pavilion will be a central feature within the St. John Encampment Commons that is under construction in what was formerly a parking lot. We envision the park as part classroom, part living room, part gallery, and part performance space. The pavilion will be yet another way in which UFCU and ACC are bringing the community together in support of education.”

UFCU also has plans for adding ATMs and branches at some ACC campus locations.

The expanded partnership builds upon the already robust UFCU-ACC relationship, which has provided scholarships for ACC’s Adult Education Division, provides emergency grants for students, and delivers financial health education to ACC faculty, staff, and students.