FAU’s $3.3 million Treto estate gift will fund engineering scholarships
FAU says a $3.3 million estate gift will fund full-cost scholarships for electrical engineering students with demonstrated financial need. The university has not announced award timing or recipient numbers.
Key Takeaways
- •FAU says the $3.3 million estate gift will fund an endowed scholarship for electrical engineering students with demonstrated financial need.
- •The scholarship is intended to cover tuition, books, fees and housing as part of full cost of attendance.
- •FAU has not announced recipient numbers, individual award amounts, application timing or a first award date.
Florida Atlantic University says it has received a $3.3 million gift from the estate of Maria M. Treto to fund a new endowed scholarship for electrical engineering students. The Pedro Treto and Harry M. Harris Scholarship is intended for students with demonstrated financial need and will cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, books, fees and housing. FAU’s announcement.
That scope could make the award relevant beyond tuition bills. A full-cost package can include living expenses the university lists alongside academic charges, though FAU has not announced an award amount per student, how many students will receive scholarships or when the first awards will be made. The release also does not describe an application calendar or selection process.
The scholarship memorializes Treto's husband, Pedro, and their son, Harry M. Harris. FAU says the family developed real estate in the Miami area after immigrating from Cuba, and that Harris studied electrical engineering at Florida Atlantic. The scholarship connects that family history to a field of study the university says its students pursue in electrical engineering.
For students, the key eligibility detail is the combination of major and financial need. The gift is designated for electrical engineering students with demonstrated need, rather than a general award for every FAU student. The public announcement does not say whether applicants must meet additional academic, residency or enrollment conditions, so prospective students will need the university's scholarship office for those details.
The university describes the gift as an endowment and says the scholarship is designed to help students complete their degrees without debt. FAU President Adam Hasner and College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Stella Batalama credited the donation with honoring the family's connection to the school. Those are the university's stated aims; it has not published a projected number of awards or a measured student debt reduction tied to the fund.
The gift also illustrates how a South Florida real estate family's estate can support a local technical education pathway after its founders' lifetimes. That could help widen access to engineering study, but the announcement does not quantify effects on enrollment, graduation or the regional labor market. For employers, the practical significance will depend on how many students the fund reaches and whether awards continue across future cohorts.
Students considering electrical engineering at FAU should watch for an application notice or ask the university about timing, eligibility and required financial aid information. At present, the public announcement establishes the gift's purpose and broad eligibility but leaves those steps unanswered. It also gives no indication that recipients have been selected.
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