WJCT 89.9 FM: FSCJ Qualifies To Compete For $1 Million Aspen Prize For Community College Excellence

Link to article: http://news.wjct.org/post/fscj-qualifies-compete-1-million-aspen-prize-community-college-excellence

Florida State College at Jacksonville is one of 150-community colleges nationwide in the running for a $1 million prize.

The Aspen Institute selected FSCJ from more than a thousand eligible public state and community colleges.

School president Cynthia Bioteau said just being chosen to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence is an honor in itself.

“This is the second time in three years that FSCJ has been recognized in the top ten percent of community colleges across the nation and been asked and invited to compete for this prize,” Bioteau said.

The Aspen Prize is awarded every two years to a community college that’s demonstrated excellence in four areas of student success that includes degree completion, employment and earnings.

Two of the four prizes awarded so far have gone to Florida schools: Valencia College in Orlando in 2011 and Santa Fe College in Gainesville in 2015.

Ten finalists for the Aspen Prize will be named next May.  The winner will be announced in the spring of 2019.

Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 or on Twitter @cydwjctnews.