Tiedemann, Cotton give $50K to USF for student support
April 20, 2020 - Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton, longtime supporters of University of South Florida, have given USF $50,000 to provide emergency financial support to students on the USF St. Petersburg campus facing hardships due to the coronavirus epidemic. The gift, made in response to the USF United Support Fund effort, will be administered through the Stay AFLOAT fund, which was created by the USF Foundation to help students with a short-term need that may prevent them from continuing their education without assistance, a news release said. Stay AFLOAT scholarships are open to full or part-time students at all academic levels and all majors on the St. Petersburg campus. Those interested in supporting the fund can make a monetary gift through the USF Foundation’s website. Students can apply for funds through the Office of Financial Aid. Tiedemann, a self-made entrepreneur, is the largest donor in USF St. Petersburg’s history; together, Tiedemann and Cotton, her spouse and a former small business owner, have contributed more than $15 million to the university.