Aspen Institute Names Feather River College as a Top College

The Aspen Institute Names Feather River College as a Top College Eligible for the 2025 Aspen Prize

Quincy, CA – Recently, the Aspen Institute named Feather River College (FRC) as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. This is the second year in a row that FRC has received this prestigious nomination. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success, as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.

Dr. Kevin Trutna, Superintendent/President, commented on the recent nomination by saying, “It is truly an honor to be nominated among the top 150 colleges nationwide, and this is a testament to the incredible level of support provided to students by FRC and the entire community. This nomination marks the second consecutive time that FRC has been nominated for top scores in student success, improvement, and performance for underrepresented groups.”

As many know, FRC puts student learning and success as a top priority year in and year out. Feather River College’s small size and rural location make it even more impressive to continue to be nominated for this award. Carlie McCarthy, Vice President of Student Services/CSSO, stated, “Small, rural colleges face many challenges, but I believe that our success is attributed to our ability to work closely with our students in a supportive and inclusive environment. This it is a testament to the great work being done on our campus through our commitment to student equity and success. I am very proud of our campus and students!”

In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Colleges must show strong, improving, and equitable student outcomes in first-to-second year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates. Nationwide, about 15 percent of community colleges have been invited to apply (150 of just under 1,000 public two-year colleges assessed for Prize eligibility).

The next steps in the process include:

April 2024: Announcement of 25 semifinalists, selected based on assessments of extensive data and strategy documents by the Prize selection panel, a group of 16 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, and interviews with institutional leadership teams

June 2024: Announcement of 10 finalists, selected by the Prize selection panel

Fall 2024:  Site visits to each of the ten finalists, during which the Aspen Institute and partners will collect additional information, including employment and earnings data and insights about promising practices

January 2025: Prize award decisions made by distinguished, independent Prize jury at full-day meeting 

Spring 2025:  Announcement of the Aspen Prize winner and celebration of the 10 finalists in Washington DC

For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions, and to read more on the selection process, please visit the Aspen Institute website.