FSCJ Receives United States Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) was recently awarded the United States Department of Education (USDOE) Title III Strengthening Institutions grant in the amount of $2,057,929 to be distributed over the next five years.

The Strengthening Institutions program supports the USDOE’s efforts to improve college completion for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education. The program provides grants to eligible higher education institutions to help them become self-sufficient and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the institution’s academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability.

With this grant, FSCJ will create a Collegewide program called Bridging Resource into Developing Goal-Driven Education Success (BRIDGES). BRIDGES will work to increase the effectiveness of the student advising experience by implementing a comprehensive model integrating academics, wrap around support services, orientation and supportive technologies. The initiative will also help FSCJ improve student retention and completion through the implementation of targeted support programs, faculty training, academic courses, guided curricular pathways and instructional models using high impact equity practices that help to close the achievement gap. BRIDGES will also allow intensified data tracking and strategic enrollment management efforts, which support equity, retention and completion outcomes of low-income and historically underrepresented students.

“We are excited that FSCJ was selected to receive this grant from the United States Department of Education because of the incredible impact we know it will have for students who are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education,” said FSCJ Interim President Kevin E. Hyde. “BRIDGES will build on our institution’s ongoing efforts to provide better access to all students who wish to pursue a higher education which can only strengthen the future of our community.”

A dedicated BRIDGES Educational Success Team comprised of faculty, staff and administrators will guide the implementation. Multiple support systems to better build capacity will be adopted such as seamlessly connecting students to necessary financial resources, engaging faculty with advising and orientation processes, supporting student life skills development and efforts that strengthen data collection, among many others.

About FSCJ

Known as “the community’s college,” Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) exists to provide valuable, high quality learning opportunities to anyone with the desire to enhance themselves through the pursuit of higher education. Serving more than 50,000 students and awarding more than 7,800 degrees and certificates on an annual basis, the College plays a significant role in supplying the region’s employers with a highly skilled, educated workforce.

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