Two North Carolina community colleges have been named semifinalists for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, according to a Wednesday press release from the Aspen Institute.
Forsyth Technical Community College and Stanly Community College were named among the 25 semifinalists, chosen from nearly 1,000 colleges nationwide for their performance data and “practices aligned to achieving high and improving levels of student success,” the release said.
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Student success measures include completion of a college credential, employment after graduation, or transfer to a bachelor’s degree that is completed successfully.
“We start every cycle of the Aspen Prize with a simple question: Which community colleges are best at not just helping students graduate, but ensuring that what they learn and the credentials they earn actually help them meet their goals and have a better life?” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “We congratulate the semifinalists for their strong and improving student outcomes and for prioritizing improvements in student success both during and after college.”
The Aspen Institute previously found 200 colleges eligible to compete for the prize in October, a list that included 20 of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. After inviting these institutions to participate, 170 submitted applications.
No North Carolina community college has won the award since it was first awarded in 2011. The award website says one U.S. president described the prize as “basically the Oscars for great community colleges.”
Dr. Janet N. Spriggs, president of Forsyth Community College, said she was overwhelmed with gratitude for the recognition in a LinkedIn post.
“This is what happens when faculty stay late, when advisors believe in students who don’t yet believe in themselves, when an entire institution decides that access without success is not enough, and takes responsibility for post-graduation outcomes,” Spriggs said. “This is what happens when a whole college puts students first on purpose.”
The college attributed the recognition to its five-year strategic plan launched in 2020, Vision 2025. Since the plan’s launch, the graduation rate has grown to 45%, up from 19%, and completion rates for minority students have grown from 12% to 45% — surpassing the goals laid out in the plan.
In a press release, Stanly Community College President Dr. John Enamait said the recognition was deeply personal to him as a first-generation college student.
“I know what it means to take that first step, often without a clear path, and how transformative the right support and opportunity can be,” said Enamait. “That’s exactly what we strive to provide every day at Stanly Community College. Being named an Aspen Prize semifinalist isn’t just about our institution. It is about our students, their determination, and the belief that their goals are within reach. I’m incredibly proud of them and of the faculty and staff who walk alongside them every step of the way.”
In a LinkedIn post, Enamait added that the recognition “is especially meaningful because the Aspen Prize focuses on what matters most, which is student success outcomes. These outcomes include completion, transfer, and graduates’ success in the workforce.”
A panel of 15 experts will choose 10 finalists to be announced in June, the release says. Site visits and data reviews will follow in the fall. The winner will be announced in April 2027.
The full list of semifinalists includes:
- Chippewa Valley Technical College (WI)
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
- Forsyth Technical Community College (NC)
- Harper College (IL)
- LaGuardia Community College (NY)
- Lorain County Community College (OH)
- Mid-State Technical College (WI)
- MiraCosta College (CA)
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MS)
- Moorpark College (CA)
- North Iowa Area Community College (IA)
- Northeast Community College (NE)
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (WI)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (VA)
- San Jacinto College (TX)
- Sinclair Community College (OH)
- South Puget Sound Community College (WA)
- Southeast Technical College (SD)
- Stanly Community College (NC)
- State Technical College of Missouri (MO)
- Tallahassee State College (FL)
- Tri-County Technical College (SC)
- UCNJ Union College of Union County, New Jersey (NJ)
- Wallace State Community College (AL)
- West Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY)
Aspen provides a free benchmarking tool with all the metrics used in the Aspen Prize to compare 1,000 community colleges at the outset of the selection process, including newly available data from the National Student Clearinghouse. Learn more and access the tool on Aspen’s website.
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