Winners of MetLife Foundation Award Announced

MetLife Foundation has just crowned two 2008 winners of the Community College Excellence Award, the Community College of Baltimore County in Baltimore, Maryland, and South Texas College in McAllen, Texas.

MetLife Foundation created the Community College Excellence Award to recognize institutions that are helping low-skilled youth and adults enter college to achieve their educational goals. The 2008 winners were selected from nearly 1,200 community colleges nationwide.

Because global competitiveness and changing local economies demand more highly skilled and well-educated workers, community colleges are considered an important access point for students who aspire to higher education but are not adequately prepared to succeed at the college level. Community colleges enroll more than 11.5 million students, including 46 percent of all undergraduates and large proportions of students who are first-generation college goers, part-time and working students, minorities, career changers, low-income earners, and students of all ages.

Although community colleges have made significant progress in increasing access to their facilities, they face several challenges, including the ability to meet students wherever they are academically, increasing the number of students who are prepared at enrollment, and improving the likelihood that students will complete their studies, secure certificates and degrees, and ultimately obtain well-paying jobs. By receiving the Foundation Award, the Community College of Baltimore County and South Texas College have been recognized as innovators, collaborators, and achievers who are committed to increasing student success.

For more information, visit http://www.jff.org/KnowledgeCenter/MetLife+Foundation+Community+College+Excellence+Award+Brochure.html.