The school supplies have been purchased, a mountain of paperwork has been completed, and your family is getting settled into a new school year routine. Amid the back to school hustle and bustle, it’s easy to forget about planning for the future. Now is the time to look ahead, however, especially for high school seniors.…
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A partnership between St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg is helping Pinellas County residents learn more about their educational options after high school. The new initiative, called the Pinellas Access to Higher Education Program (PATHe), was formed in 2018 with support from the Florida Legislature to expand educational access and assist…
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Cost is one of the biggest barriers facing students who want to attend college. While research has shown that college is a good investment in the long term, earning a degree has become increasingly unaffordable for many lower-income students. Financial aid available through the federal government or state and local institutions is an important resource…
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Starting next year, students in Pinellas County Schools will have a new option for earning college credit while still in high school. Earlier this month, the Pinellas County School Board approved a dual enrollment agreement with the University of Florida that allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college credit by taking online classes…
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A new National College Access Network (NCAN) report shows that affordability is decreasing at two- and four-year public institutions across the U.S. According to “The Growing Gap: Public Higher Education’s Declining Affordability for Low-Income Students,” just 48% of community colleges were affordable for the average Pell Grant recipient in 2016-17, while only 27% of four-year…
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More than $30,000 in FAFSA Completion Scholarships Awarded to Hillsborough, PInellas Students As students say goodbye to high school this week and the idea of being “done” begins to sink in, the excitement of what lies ahead will inevitably mix with the practical: “meeting” roommates online; buying sheets and a mini-fridge for a dorm room;…
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Today’s blog post comes from Taylor Aguilera, a tenacious first-generation college student and working mom of two. Taylor will graduate in December from Hillsborough Community College with her Associate of Science degree in Paralegal Studies. Our goal is to highlight other students, community volunteers, donors and higher education advocates in the future, in order to…
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The Florida College Access Network (FCAN) has wrapped up the 2019 Florida FAFSA Challenge, a statewide campaign to increase the number of high school seniors completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). According to FCAN, through the end of March, 72 schools representing 27 counties across Florida met the campaign’s goal to increase…
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Image credit: St. Pete Catalyst Dr. Tonjua Williams, president of St. Petersburg College and member of LEAP Tampa Bay’s vision council, recently shared her thoughts on improving workforce readiness in Tampa Bay. During the March Vinoy Business Alliance luncheon, Williams presented her plan to create an “integrated educational ecosystem” in Pinellas county, focused on connecting…
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Public high schools around the Tampa Bay area are participating in a challenge to increase completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – hosting financial aid awareness events, working with students and parents one-on-one, and helping to identify students who need to correct errors on their form that could prevent them from…
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