Indian River State College Promise Program Renewed for Third Year
October 23, 2023 Suzanne Seldes
FORT PIERCE, FL— A unanimous vote by the IRSC Foundation Board to renew the IRSC Promise
program means students graduating in 2024 from in-district public and public charter
high schools and eligible in-district homeschool graduates can earn tuition-free Associate
degrees from Indian River State College.
Approved for a third year, the IRSC Program has correlated to a dramatic increase
in college-going among local high school graduates with greater numbers of Hispanic,
first-generation and male students entering the College—impressive statistics that
far exceed or buck national trends.
“Over the past two years, more than 4,300 first-time-in-college students entered Indian
River State College through the IRSC Promise program,” shares Vice President for Student
Success Elizabeth Gaskin. “The program is a game-changer for so many families in Indian
River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie communities, and we are grateful for the leadership,
support and vision of the IRSC Foundation Board in moving Promise forward for another
year.”
Credited chiefly to the success of the IRSC Promise program, overall enrollment for
Indian River State College continues to climb. Last year, when the College introduced
its first Promise cohort, Indian River State College welcomed the largest first-year
class in its more than 60-year history; overall enrollment increased by nearly +9%.
This fall, the College has more first-time-in-college students than ever, and enrollment
continues to accelerate, to date an increase of +6% over last fall.
The IRSC Promise program is not a grant or scholarship. It is a tuition-paid program
sponsored by the IRSC Foundation and funded through generous donor philanthropy and
unrestricted investment proceeds.
“Since its inception in 2022, the Indian River State College Promise Program has proven
to be one of the most successful investments the IRSC Foundation has made to quickly
and dramatically remove barriers to higher education,” said IRSC Foundation Board
Chair Bill Marine. “We are proud to support a new year of funding to help provide
tuition-free Associate degrees for a new generation of high school graduates.”
Eligible students can pledge the IRSC Promise at promise.irsc.edu beginning January 24, 2024. The pledge deadline is May 24, 2024.
About Indian River State College
A leader in education and innovation, Indian River State College transforms lives
by offering high-quality, affordable and accessible education to the residents of
Florida’s Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties through traditional
and online delivery. IRSC is a recipient of the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College
Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance
among America’s community colleges. The College serves nearly 22,000 students annually
and offers more than 100 programs leading to Bachelor’s degrees, Associate degrees,
technical certificates and applied technology diplomas. Learn more at https://www.irsc.edu/.
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