{"id":154055,"date":"2026-07-06T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=154055"},"modified":"2026-07-02T11:41:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T15:41:33","slug":"ucf-and-the-darden-restaurants-foundation-announce-5-million-partnership-to-launch-next-generation-student-success-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-and-the-darden-restaurants-foundation-announce-5-million-partnership-to-launch-next-generation-student-success-center\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF and the Darden Restaurants Foundation Announce $5 Million Partnership to Launch Next-Generation Student Success Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

Building on 50 years of collaboration, UCF and the Darden Restaurants Inc. Foundation (Darden Restaurants Foundation) today announced a landmark $5 million partnership expansion to launch a state-of-the-art student success center designed to streamline graduation pathways and cultivate future-ready workforce talent.<\/p>\n

Often, the daily challenges of life block graduation more than academic ability. With support from the Darden Restaurants Foundation, UCF aims to address these challenges and redefine how it champions upward mobility and student well-being. The future site of this center will be within Howard Phillips Hall on UCF\u2019s main campus and will house a unified ecosystem that integrates enrollment, academic navigation, mental health resources, food security programs and emergency financial aid to serve nearly 70,000 students annually.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur partnership with UCF reflects a shared belief that when you remove barriers and invest in people, you unlock potential at scale.\u201d \u2014 Susan Connelly, Darden Restaurants Foundation president<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThis investment from the Darden Restaurants Foundation reflects what is possible when partners share a commitment to students, opportunity and the future of our workforce,\u201d UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright says. \u201cTogether, UCF and the Darden Restaurants Foundation are helping more Knights persist, graduate and step into meaningful careers that strengthen Florida\u2019s economy and expand opportunity for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur partnership with UCF reflects a shared belief that when you remove barriers and invest in people, you unlock potential at scale,\u201d President of the Darden Restaurants Foundation Susan Connelly says. \u201cThe primary focus areas of the Darden Restaurants Foundation are helping fight hunger and investing in education. Through the Darden Restaurants Foundation Student Success Center, we are helping create a model that supports students holistically \u2014 from academic navigation to basic needs \u2014 so they can persist, graduate, and thrive in their careers and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

This investment strengthens a comprehensive approach to student success by growing access to scholarships, enhancing proactive \u00a0success coaching, and delivering innovative, integrated support systems that remove barriers before they can derail progress. It reflects a shared commitment to creating an environment where students are prepared to graduate with confidence, step into meaningful careers and lead in a rapidly changing world.<\/p>\n

The $5 million investment also establishes the Darden Restaurants Foundation Student Success Fund, which will directly support four core pillars of the partnership:<\/p>\n