On Feb. 3, Fayetteville State University announced a new scholarship – the FTCC Keen Scholarship. 

Named in honor of FTCC President Dr. J. Larry Keen, the scholarship will be available to 150 FTCC graduates in 2022-2023; 200 FTCC graduates in 2023-2024; 250 FTCC graduates in 2024-2025; and 300 graduates in succeeding years.

FSU Chancellor Darrell T. Allison surprised Keen, who recently announced his planned retirement for Jan. 1, 2023, at a ceremony at FTCC.

"FSU has established, in partnership with FTCC, the FTCC Keen Scholarship in honor of Dr. Larry Keen, my colleague, friend, and outstanding president of FTCC," Allison said. "Just think of the major impact we could have in the first four years of this program, where nearly 900 FTCC Keen Scholars would have matriculated onto FSU's campus, receiving $900,000 in scholarship funding. What a testament to the legacy of such a leader, and what a major opportunity for Fayetteville and Cumberland County to capitalize on." 

"The global pandemic has compounded the economic challenges faced by our state and nation," said Dr. Mark Sorrells, FTCC's Senior Vice President for Academics and Student Services. "These unique challenges have negatively impacted students at all levels, especially those from economically distressed areas. FTCC is proud to join forces with FSU to announce a special partnership that will assist students in achieving greater economic and social mobility through increased educational opportunities that align with our community's needs. The partnership is funded by the generosity of FSU and support from the UNC System."  

Students who apply must obtain an associate degree from FTCC, have a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 and meet all requirements for admissions to FSU. Priority will be given to high-demand workforce majors, such as nursing, business analytics, intelligence studies and cybersecurity. 

"It is a tremendous honor to be linked to an initiative that will be so transformative for so many students and their families," Keen said. "Thank you, Chancellor Allison and FSU. Our strong partnership will benefit our students, our community, and our state. This means everything to me."