SAC Advances to Next Round in Hopes for $1M Aspen Prize

The Aspen Institute has informed Dr. Robert Vela, San Antonio College President, that SAC has advanced to the next round of competition for the prestigious $1 million Aspen Prize. 

According to a letter received from Joshua Wyner, the Institute’s vice president, San Antonio College will be granted a one-hour interview which will take place between Feb. 1 and March 8. The interview, along with the application itself, will help determine the 10 finalist colleges to be announced this summer. 

In October 2017, San Antonio College was named to the list of 150 community colleges in the U.S. eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges. 

Initially selected out of a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges, SAC was one of only 15 Texas colleges to be nominated, including: St. Philip’s College, Northwest Vista College and Palo Alto College. 

Awarded every two years since 2011, the Aspen Prize recognizes institutions with outstanding achievements in four areas: learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students. 

The top ten finalists will be named in May 2018. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner, finalist(s) with distinction, and rising star(s) in spring 2019.

For more information about the Aspen Institute, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.