Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company donates $5 million to help provide scholarships for Florida students

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.– Step Up For Students announced December 4 that Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company (UPCIC) has contributed $5 million to the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, helping nearly 620 Florida schoolchildren access the education option that is best for them.

Since 2017, UPCIC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc., has generously funded more than 4,740 scholarships through contributions totaling $33.5 million to Step Up For Students, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that helps manage the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The program, which is funded by tax-credited contributions from corporations, allows families to use the scholarship for private school tuition and fees, instructional materials, curriculum and other approved educational expenses, or to assist with transportation costs to a different public school. Florida students who are not enrolled full time in a private or public school can access the Personalized Education Program (PEP), which provides an education savings account (ESA) to fund the needs of those students.

“Universal is committed to supporting the students and families in our community through our partnership with Step Up For Students,” said Steve Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer of Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. (UIH). “We believe it is important to provide access to the best education for each student and we know these scholarships are doing just that.”

UPCIC celebrated this impactful donation at Madelaine Halmos Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where nearly 100% of students use a scholarship through Step Up For Students. Dan Marino, UPCIC spokesperson, National Football League Hall of Famer and former Miami Dolphins quarterback, made a special appearance and spoke to the schoolchildren about the importance of education.

More than 380,000 K-12 students throughout Florida benefited from a scholarship administered by Step Up For Students this past school year. Scholarship values vary by grade and county, but average $7,800 and can be used at more than 2,400 participating schools.