All of Jones High School’s current students can go to Valencia College for free, the college announced Wednesday.
Jones students, packed into the school’s gymnasium, learned the news in the morning at the surprise gathering. Any student currently enrolled at Orlando’s Jones — about 1,500 pupils, most of whom come from low-income households — is guaranteed to have their unmet costs at Valencia covered once they enroll, the college said. Typically, two years at Valencia costs about $6,000.
“Some of you may have been wondering, ‘Can I afford college?’” Valencia College President Kathleen Plinske said. “You never again have to ask yourself that question.”
Students jumped from their seats, cheered and clapped when they heard the news.
The scholarship was funded by donations to the Valencia College Foundation from Lift Orlando — a non-profit that works to help the neighborhoods surrounding Camping World Stadium in downtown Orlando. Jones High sits less than half a mile from the stadium.
“If you’re just starting your high school career, we want you to know how proud we are to come alongside you to make sure Jones High School is a school where 100% of its graduates go to college, have a post secondary plan, have a bright future,” said Eddy Moratin, Lift Orlando’s CEO.
Moratin singled out west Orange County real estate developers Scott and Jennifer Boyd as major donors who helped make the scholarships possible.
Orlando Norwood, the principal at Jones High, called the opportunity “life changing” for his students.
“This is absolutely fantastic for our students and for the families and for the community,” he said.
Plinske said the college and Lift Orlando are working to secure funding for similar scholarships for all of Evans High Schools students, too. Last year, Valencia and Lift Orlando provided scholarships to all Jones and Evans 2025 graduates, allowing them to attend the local state college for free.
Evans also serves mostly students from low-income families.
The newly announced scholarship expands the eligibility to all currently enrolled Jones students, from freshman to seniors.
Norwood learned of the scholarships right before the school’s winter break and said he immediately began planning for how he could help students take advantage of the offer.
He said the school plans to hold workshops with Valencia to help families understand the scholarship and the steps needed to earn it.
Jones students who want to take advantage of the scholarship need to graduate from high school, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), apply to Valencia and register for a course no later than the spring term the year after they graduate.
Once enrolled, they have five years to complete a program.
Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez called it an “extraordinary gift” in a statement following the announcement.
“By removing the financial burden of tuition and fees, it opens doors that many students may have thought was out of reach,” she said.
Students can use the scholarships toward traditional associate degree classes as well as career and technical training programs such as welding, commercial driving and construction. The scholarship does not cover a four-year bachelor’s degree from Valencia.
The scholarship effort mirrors the Osceola Prosper program, which used federal COVID-19 relief funds to send Osceola County high school seniors to Valencia for free.