One UCF department will receive $75,000 to help some UCF students pay for college.

UCF’s Multicultural Academic and Support Services (MASS) office announced the department will receive $75,000 from the Orlando Magic Youth Fund to assist first generation UCF students.

UCF MASS Director Wayne Jackson says the money will be used to enhance current and implement new student programming, as well as provide scholarships to UCF first generation students, UCF said.

The MASS program was one of 17 community agencies in the Central Florida region who received funding from the Magic. MASS will be using its funds to provide $25,000 in scholarship money to students during the 2012-2013 and part of the 2013-2014 academic years. The money will also be used to further develop the MASS Lunch and Learn Program, The First Generation Speaker Series and the MASS College Prep Day, which is a day designed to help multicultural and first generation high school and middle school students prepare for college.

MASS will also implement two new programs, the First Generation Success Retreat and the First Generation Institute.

“This is a great opportunity for our students,” Jackson says. “Many of them struggle financially and the money received from the Orlando Magic will help defray some of their college costs and better prepare UCF students for success.”

MASS is an office in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.