Rend Lake College was recently named one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.

RLC was selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize.

The Aspen Prize – awarded every two years since 2011 – recognizes institutions with outstanding achievements in four areas: learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students. This marks RLC’s fifth Aspen top 150: 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and now 2019, every year that the award has been active.

The college moves on now to the next round of competition as it will submit an application that will be reviewed through a rigorous evaluation for a spot on the top ten Aspen Prize finalists list. Top ten finalists will be named in May 2018. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner, finalist(s) with distinction, and rising star(s) in spring 2019.

For more information about the Aspen Institute or for details on the selection process, visit www.aspenprize.org.