Broward College In Finals For Prestigious Award, $1M

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — Broward College is in the running for a major award — and major money.

According to a South Florida Business Journal article, the community college was named one of 10 finalists for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, an award of high achievement and performance for U.S. community colleges.

Broward College beat out more than 1,000 community colleges, and by advancing to the finals will compete for $1 million.

The Aspen Prize recognize institutions in four areas: student learning outcomes, degree and college completion, labor market success in students securing jobs after college, and minority and low-income student success.

"Broward College is at the forefront of preparing a diverse student body for jobs in today's knowledge-based economy," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program, in a statement. "Broward has proven itself a vital part of the efforts Fort Lauderdale and the state of Florida to rebuild economically in an era of constricted state budgets."

Santa Fe College in Gainesville is also a finalist, making Florida one of only two states in the country with more than one prize finalist.

The winner is to be announced in March in Washington, D.C.

The South Florida Business Journal contributed material for this report.