KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Osceola County is celebrating a big achievement when it comes to increasing the number of high school seniors attending college after graduation.
Osceola County cracked the top five in the Florida Department of Education’s recently released college-going rates for 2022 — which also happens to be the first year all graduating seniors in Osceola County were given free college tuition through Osceola Prosper to attend either Valencia College or Osceola Technical College.
“When you look at where we started in 2010, being 61st out of 67 counties, now all the way up to fourth in 2022, there’s a lot of work that needed to be done between 2010 and 2022 to get there,” said Osceola County Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff.
Students have the choice to either pursue an A.S. or A.A. degree at Valencia College, complete one of Valencia’s Accelerated Skills Training or Technical Certificate programs, or enroll at Osceola Technical College.
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“It is the culmination of a tremendous amount of work throughout the community to help students overcome the barriers that were preventing them from going to college,” said Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske.
Plinske said these results show what’s possible when everyone works together.
“I think it shows what’s possible,” Plinske said. “I think back to those meetings we had about ten years ago and the superintendent at the time, Melba Luciano, said that her goal was not just to reach the state average but to be the top in the state. And I remember thinking how much courage that took to say that out loud when we were in 61st place to say that our goal was to be the top of the state and here we are 10 years later.”
Carlos Flores was part of the first graduating class to benefit from Osceola Prosper. Now, he’s close to finishing up a finance degree at Valencia College.
“When they said the announcement, they had a little confetti and everyone went wild, everyone was screaming because we didn’t expect it at all,” Flores said.
He said it almost felt like it was too good to be true.
“It was such a blessing because at first, I didn’t know how I was going to be able to pay for college, so the fact that I was able to get this was so unexpected,” Flores said. “It’s just been such a blessing for me and my family and I’ve had a great time here and made a lot of connections.”
Now in its third year, Osceola County has committed $8.3 million to Osceola Prosper to give the gift of free college to the class of 2024.
The county said in a statement:
“The graduation benchmark is exactly the type of success the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners envisioned with the launch of Osceola Prosper. With a focus on education and creating a globally competitive economy, we are shaping a future where every high school graduate has the opportunity to thrive. We are honored and remain dedicated to fostering a healthy, sustainable, and resilient region. Osceola Prosper is not just a program; it’s a life-changing initiative that empowers our residents to build brighter futures. Access to higher education is crucial for building a diverse, globally competitive 21st-century economy, offering exponential career opportunities, and creating a well-rounded community.
“One aspect of Osceola Prosper, unlike any other similar program in the nation, is that recipients have five years to take advantage of the resource – which is ideal for a population that often juggles continuing education with the need to enter the workforce and generate an income.”
For more information on Osceola Prosper, CLICK HERE.
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