Provost John Buckwalter makes brief remarks in UCF SPRK building after the announcement of unclaimed funds on Tuesday by Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
Bryan Gonzalez
The UCF student emergency fund will receive over $40,000 in unclaimed property funds, according to Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia.
The funds were announced at a press conference on Tuesday as part of “Claim Your Cash,” a state government initiative administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services that makes it easier for residents to find unclaimed property.
Provost John Buckwalter said at the press conference that the unclaimed property program recovered these funds for UCF.
“These dollars involve money owed to UCF from suppliers in the form of uncashed payments, refunds and account credits,” Buckwalter said.
Ingoglia explained that abandoned property can include financial assets such as uncashed payroll checks, utility deposits, stocks and safe deposit box contents. When institutions lose contact with account holders, they are required to report the assets to the state for safekeeping, he said.
In July, the Division of Unclaimed Property reported returning more than $57 million in unclaimed property to Florida residents, according to an August press release.
The funds will be directed toward the university’s student emergency fund, which assists students facing urgent financial needs, Buckwalter said.
Student Government President Shivani Vakharia said after the press conference she believes these funds will be very beneficial to students.
“This fund could have gone to a lot of things, but to know that as a UCF student that we are being prioritized first is just really reassuring,” Vakharia said.
Ingoglia said that one in five Floridians have abandoned property and encouraged Florida residents to visit claimyourcashfl.gov.
“If you have unclaimed property, taking a few minutes out of your day to search is easy, and the best part is it’s free,” Ingoglia said.