Earlier this month, Maygan Johnson, senior director of development from the Indian River State College Foundation, presented information about the IRSC Promise Program to BDBMC board members.
Indian River State College has five campuses that provide full-service education on the Treasure Coast, including Martin County. The Promise Program offers a tuition-free 2-year associate degree to graduate from public, charter, or approved home school high schools in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties.
Sponsored by the Indian River State College Foundation, the last-dollar program provides local students access to academic and technical training for future success. Funded by donor contributions and investment proceeds, the Promise Program aims to build a permanent endowment for continued support.
Some of the highlights from Johnson’s presentation included:
- Currently, over 3,600 Promise students are enrolled at Indian River State College.
- Our first cohort is nearing completion this December, and 717 credentials have already been awarded.
- The 2024 cohort, which marks the third intake, includes 2,415 students, with 18% coming from Martin County.
- Martin County High School leads in student enrollment, followed by South Fork and Jensen Beach High School. (Top three)
- Approximately 23%of 2024 Promise Students are enrolled in an S. track, with top programs including Automotive, HVAC, Electrical Power Technology, and Digital Media.
- PopularA. tracks include Pre-Nursing, Pre-Radiology, Pre-Dental Hygiene, and Computer Information Technology.
- Across all cohorts, the data reflects a 54% first-generation college enrollment rate.
- 45% of students are male, exceeding the national average of 41%, and 67% identify as Hispanic.
- 76% of IRSC graduates remain in the four-county area, contributing to local economic growth.
- Our capture rate of high school graduates has increased from 20% to 40%, meaning 1 in 3 high school graduates are now enrolling at IRSC.
Click here to read the annual Promise Program Impact Report.
