Osceola Prosper helps students go to college for free

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — For many young adults across the nation, paying for college can be a barrier to receiving a higher education.

However, one Osceola County program, Osceola Prosper, has worked for years to change the narrative for younger professionals who want to go to college or technical school.

Osceola Prosper allows students to get a free associate degree or technical training for up to five years of instruction, depending on their course load per year.

“About two-thirds of our students attend on a part-time basis, because the vast majority of our students are working while they attend college, and many are taking care of family,” Valenica College President Kathleen Plinske said. “So, in partnership with the county, we designed the program where students maintain eligibility for five years to complete their associate degree.” 

“So, what that means is that students have to complete 12 credit hours each year to maintain eligibility for Osceola Prosper, which we find that students are able to do while they’re working and while they’re balancing family responsibilities,” Plinske added.

Plinske said the program opens a broader future for students of all backgrounds. She said 70% of the students in the program are Hispanic, matching the demographics of Osceola County. She also said many are first-generation college students.

“I think an important part of the story is going all the way back to 2010: Osceola County ranked 61st out of the 67 counties in the state of Florida in terms of the percentage of high school graduates who were going to college,” Plinske said. “And we did efforts back then to understand what were the barriers that were preventing students from going to college.”

“We’ve seen already more than 10,000 students participate in the Osceola Prosper program, and we have more than 1,100 students who have already completed their associate degree, which is really remarkable because the program first started in fall of 2022,” Plinske added.

Following years of research, enrollment outreach, and the establishment of the Osceola Prosper program in 2022, Oceola County now ranks third in the state for high school graduates who go to college.

“So, one of the amazing things about this program is that it ensures that our community will have the trained workforce that we need for the economy of the future,” Plinske said. “It’s really important as a way to recruit and attract business and industry to Central Florida, because employers know that individuals here have the access to training and the skills that they need for those jobs of tomorrow.”

The Osceola County Commission announced on Sept. 15 that Osceola Prosper is getting $10.4 million to complete phase four of the program.  

“Oftentimes, you hear communities wonder how they’re going to import talent or how they’re going to import a skilled workforce,” Plinske said. “The Osceola County Commission said, ‘We have all the talent we need right here in Osceola County. We just need to make sure that our kids have access to education and training to be prepared for that economy of tomorrow.'”

Ana Villalobos is graduating in December from Valencia College with goals of continuing legal studies. Originally from Venezuela, she said that the program made starting her post-high school education possible.

“Commissioner Arrington doesn’t know me that well, but he changed my life, as well as the program, of course, and all the people that have helped through the whole journey,” Villalobos said.

“It (the program) also changed my life and the outcome that I would have gained by now,” she added. “And the Ana from four years ago, which was the time when I graduated high school, will be very proud and very happy.”

John Urbach is also graduating in December from Valencia college, with plans to study medicine. He is a Osceola Prosper student, and he has a younger sister who also attends Valencia College. He said his other younger sister hopes to become a Prosper student at Valencia after she graduates high school.

“So, being in this program, it kind of helped me to show my two younger sisters what it looks like to be in college,” Urbach said. “It showed what does it look like to balance work and school.” 

Urbach said the Osceola Prosper program was the “catalyst” for his future, and said he didn’t know how he would have been able to pay for college without it.

“Honestly, Osceola Prosper changed my life,” he said. “Like I said, I didn’t have any plans for how I was going to make it to college. I didn’t know what the next step in my life was going to look like. So, Prosper kind of gave me a glimpse into what my future was going to look like.”

“So, the first day that I came on campus was a very special day because my whole life had been I felt leading up to this moment where I finally was here,” he added. “I finally was able to make it on campus and start my future that I had always dreamed of as a child.”