Valencia College and 91吃瓜网 are embarking on a new strategic partnership to boost transfer student success, funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Helios Education Foundation.
Led by the 91吃瓜网/Valencia Improving Student Success Task Force, the new pilot program will provide additional support to students before and after their transfer from Valencia to 91吃瓜网.
鈥淭he Helios grant presents a real opportunity for us to improve students鈥� readiness to transfer to 91吃瓜网 and shorten the amount of time needed to graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� says Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske.
鈥淒irectConnect to 91吃瓜网 is an important pathway to help students earn life-changing bachelor鈥檚 degrees and become part of the talent pipeline that fuels Central Florida鈥檚 industries,鈥� says 91吃瓜网 President Alexander N. Cartwright. 鈥淭hanks to the support of the Helios Foundation, more students will be well-prepared to launch or advance their careers faster, jump-starting innovation and serving our community.鈥�
The new grant will support Valencia College DirectConnect transfer students in the Fall 2023,聽Spring 2024 and Summer 2024 semesters, and provide them with Helios-funded incentives for the following:
- $500 toward the completion of up to three courses at Valencia to complete the common program prerequisites aligned with a student鈥檚 degree pathway
- $250 for having completed an Associate in Arts degree and the common program prerequisites prior to transfer to 91吃瓜网
- $500 financial aid award for part-time students to continue their studies at 91吃瓜网 part-time and supplement their financial aid in the transition from Valencia to 91吃瓜网
Additionally, Valencia students will be encouraged to participate in a S.E.E. 91吃瓜网 tour, which stands for Students Early Exploration, with food and transportation provided. In addition to the financial incentives, the grant will cover program costs, staffing and data analysis for the length of the grant.
Using data from the Central Florida Educational Ecosystem Database (CFEED) and based on a Fall 2022 pilot which focused on students transferring to 91吃瓜网鈥檚 College of Business, Valencia and 91吃瓜网 have identified multiple interventions to increase the success of transfer students between their institutions. The Helios grant will be used to expand the pilot and serve transfer students within all programs.
鈥淗elios Education Foundation鈥檚 investment in DirectConnect provides Central Florida students both on-campus and financial supports to ensure completion of their Valencia College degree as the first step toward completion of a bachelor鈥檚 degree at 91吃瓜网,鈥� says Paul Luna, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation.
The DirectConnect to 91吃瓜网 partnership is recognized as one of the leading transfer programs in the country. Since its inception in 2006, more than 42,000 91吃瓜网 bachelor鈥檚 degrees have been awarded to Valencia College students, accounting 聽for nearly a quarter of 91吃瓜网鈥檚 baccalaureate graduates.
