Organized in the fall of 2005, the not-for-profit Buffalo Scholarship Foundation was formed to assist graduating seniors of The Villages High School in pursuing their dreams of post-secondary academic success. A resident of The Villages, Arne Rotne, got the foundation off the ground with a $10,000 gift for seed money. That humble beginning has since realized more than $500,000 in scholarships.

The Buffalo Scholarship Foundation’s five-member board determines eligibility of graduating Villages High School seniors and manages the scholarship. To qualify, the student must attend a post-secondary institution approved by the Foundation and be a full-time student for two consecutive semesters within the first two years following high school graduation.

In September 2015, the Foundation made a huge promise to its fifth-graders as the board pledged to provide financial aid to every student of the graduating class of 2023 who is pursuing a post-secondary education.

“This is an incredible goal,” said Randy McDaniel, director of education for The Villages Charter School. “Obviously, funds drive the scholarships, because our organization is nonprofit and operates from volunteers. Everything we do is for the students and their families.”