St. Petersburg College (SPC) and USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) continue to strengthen their partnership. The two institutions recently announced new initiatives and scholarship opportunities. They also expanded existing programs to increase higher education access for all students in Pinellas County. On May 23, the educational partners hosted a press conference at the USFSP Waterfront where representatives from the Florida Legislature, USFSP and SPC highlighted how they’re creating stronger pathways for students from middle school through graduate school to attain their educational goals.
During the last legislative session, State Senator Jeff Brandes (R), State Rep. Chris Sprowls (R) and the Pinellas County delegation were instrumental in securing new funds for both USFSP and SPC. Scholarships and programs, such as the new Blue Gold Scholarship, benefit from some of these funds. The two institutions will offer the scholarship to create a greater pipeline between the two institutions and increase the overall number of students who begin at SPC and go on to USFSP through the FUSE program.
FUSE is a partnership between SPC and USFSP that allows students to start earning an associate degree from SPC while receiving many of the perks of being a USF student. That includes access to campus events and specialized advising. FUSE guarantees students who earn an associate degree in three years with a minimum grade point average of 2.0 will be admitted to either USFSP or USF Tampa, based on which academic path they pursue.
Other potential initiatives that may come out of the increased legislative funding include increasing the number of higher education advisors in Pinellas County high schools, establishing a winter transition program for SPC students coming to USFSP, and establishing education fairs for private schools and home-schooled students.