The University of West Florida has received a $3 million gift from an anonymous donor to assist deserving students in their pursuit of the American Dream, officials announced Tuesday.

The gift, which UWF officials called “transformational,” will establish an endowment for need-based scholarships with preference given to immigrants and refugees and will enhance accessibility to higher education for UWF students.

UWF enrolled 290 students classified as immigrants in the 2015 fall semester. With the additional scholarship funds, new student enrollment is projected to increase by approximately 30 percent over the next several years.