Daytona State selected to vie for prestigious Aspen Institute recognition

Chosen among top 15% of schools to compete for share of $1M prize

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2016) – Selected from a pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges, Daytona State College is among 150 of the nation's top institutions chosen by the Aspen Institute to compete for the prestigious 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize money.

The selection by the Washington D.C.-based think tank recognizes the effectiveness of the two-year academic focus that is the heart of Daytona State's multi-faceted mission. Institutions are measured based on student outcomes in areas that include student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, access and success for minority and low-income students, and the institution's record of job placement for graduates.

The prize, first established in 2011, is awarded every two years and represents the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges.

"This is the first of three rounds that will determine the winning institution," said DSC President Tom LoBasso. "Nevertheless, it is an honor and very exciting for Daytona State to be recognized among the top colleges in the country. It is a testament to the quality of our faculty and student support staff and their dedication to teaching, learning and student success."

The 150 institutions announced yesterday as eligible to compete for the 2017 prize were selected from a national pool of over 1,000 public two-year colleges using publicly available data on student outcomes. Up to 10 finalists will be named in fall 2016. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data from states and transfer data from the National Student Clearinghouse. A jury will select a grand prize winner and finalists with distinction in early 2017. According to the institute's website at www.aspeninstitute.org, the winning college will receive up to $700,000, while the runners-up will share the remainder of the $1 million.

In total, 14 member institutions of the Florida College System's 28 colleges are in the running for the prize. It is the second year Daytona State became eligible to compete, having been initially selected to compete in 2011.

The Aspen Prize is financially supported by the Joyce Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation.

This is the latest in a flurry of honors Daytona State has received this month. Earlier, U.S. News and World Report for the fourth consecutive year ranked the college in the top 10 among hundreds of colleges and universities offering bachelor degree programs online, coming in at No. 7. And last week, DSC was named a 2016 Military Friendly® School by Victory Media, the leader in connecting military and civilian worlds, and publisher of G.I. Jobs®, STEM JobsSM and Military Spouse. The designation provides service members and their families with data-driven ratings about post-military education and career opportunities.

More information on the Aspen Institute and a full list of the 150 community colleges eligible to apply for the prize are available at www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/college-excellence/overview.

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