Florida State College at Jacksonville is Florida’s first state college to participate in a national initiative to cover all expenses for two years for needy students.
Starting this fall, FSCJ Promise will pay tuition, fees and books for up to 1,000 students for whom state and federal funding isn’t enough to cover those costs.
FSCJ President Cynthia Bioteau announced the initiative Thursday at a news conference with Mayor Lenny Curry, Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Nikolai Vitti and others.
“FSCJ Promise promotes equity amongst our students — a core component of the college’s values — by eliminating the barrier of financial debt, ensuring that all our community members have the chance to receive a quality education,” Bioteau said.
The program targets first-time college students who attend full time, are eligible for a Pell Grant or federal student aid and maintain a 2.0 grade point average.
For many students, it means they won’t have to work and attend college part-time, which statistically doesn’t bode well for making it to graduation.
“This is the answer for you to come to school full time and finish your degree,” Bioteau said. “To me it changes the entire college-going culture.”
Bioteau noted the lack of financial aid for college students, citing data from the LeRoy Collins Institute, a statewide policy organization. The data shows Florida’s grant dollars for need-based higher education is 25 percent, about half the national average of 48 percent.
Curry said the initiative aligned with his vision of Jacksonville by providing educational and economic opportunities for students in every ZIP code in the city.
“I’m proud of my city and proud to be a part of this,” he said.
The program will not only encourage students to attend college but help build a skilled workforce for Jacksonville companies, Bioteau said.
Roughly 75 percent of jobs in today’s global work culture require post-secondary degrees or certificates, she said.
However, escalating college costs make it hard for many students to earn a degree.
U.S. student loan debt now exceeds $1.3 trillion and college students who graduate, on average, have about $28,000 in student loans, according to the College Promise Campaign, a national higher education initiative that’s been involved with FSCJ’s effort.
Vitti, who referred to Duval County Public Schools as the “main pipeline to college,” applauded the program for offering more incentives for students to attend college.
He noted the school system achieved a 78.8 percent graduation rate last year, shrinking the gap between district and state rates from 7 percentage points to 1.9 percentage points.
The funding for FSCJ Promise comes from a combination of federal, state and local dollars, Bioteau said. That includes contributions from individuals and corporations and a reallocation of money that had traditionally been set aside for athletic scholarships.
Some of the funding — $1.8 million — comes from America’s Promise Grants distributed by the U.S. Department of Labor to help supply skilled workers in healthcare, financial services, information technology and other growth industries.
FSCJ is one of nine community colleges across the nation, and the only one in Florida, to receive that grant.