October | November 2023 Current Magazine

Empowering Individuals to Finish Their Degrees and Reclaim Their Dreams

In today's fast-paced world, pursuing higher education can often seem like an unattainable dream for many. Life's responsibilities, financial constraints, and unforeseen circumstances can interrupt academic journeys, leaving individuals with unfulfilled aspirations. It’s for these reasons REACH Manatee has collaborated with PLANit Sarasota and Complete Tampabay to partner with a pilot project at State College of Florida. The goal, to bring back those students who were unable to complete their degree.

Over the last 5 years, 22,664 individuals have left SCF without completing their degrees. Could your employees be among these former SCF students who are close to attaining their credential or degree?

Now there is hope for those who wish to return to school. Matt Smith, Completion Coach from Complete Tampabay has begun

contacting 7,800 individuals offering one-on-one coaching to help navigate the process of coming back to fulfill their dreams.

When finances stand in the way, they’ll have access to the Student Assistance Fund to help cover some costs. This would not be possible without the generous support of the Manatee Community Foundation and other supporting foundations and area organizations. If you are interested in finding out more about returning to State College of Florida, contact Matt Smith at MSmith@CFTampabay.org.

For more information, please contact REACH Manatee at info@REACHManatee.org and visit REACHManatee.org