Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been selected as one of only 150 community colleges in the nation eligible for the fourth $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges. MGCCC has made the top-150 list each of the four years the prize has been offered and made the top-10 list in 2011.

The prize, awarded every two years, has brought a new level of public attention to community colleges, defined new measures of excellence in outcomes for community college students, and uncovered and disseminated practices that help exceptional colleges ensure great outcomes for their students.

The top-150 is the first step in the process for awarding the prize in March 2017. The Aspen Institute used publicly available data to narrow the pool down from more than 1,000 community colleges to only 150 eligible institutions. The college will now have to fill out the round-two application and data templates, which focus on completion, labor market, learning and equitable outcomes.

Institutions that apply for the prize are also eligible for the Siemens Technical Scholars (STS) Program. STS is a partnership of the Aspen Institute and Siemens Foundation that recognizes deserving students enrolled in programs delivering high-quality education for middle-skill STEM jobs. In 2015, Aspen and the Siemens Foundation honored 29 Scholars, one of which was Edleshia Leverette, a Process Operations Technology major at MGCCC Jackson County Campus.

“We are excited about this opportunity to highlight the great things that are going on at MGCCC,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham. “Remaining relevant and competitive at the national level and successfully applying for this kind of recognition is not only great for the college, but also for our students through exceptional Aspen Institute scholarships and programs like the Siemens Technical Scholars Program.”