The Aspen Institute awarded South Puget Sound Community College $100,000 on April 17 for placing as a ‘Finalist with Distinction’ for the Aspen Prize. 

The Aspen Institute is an international non-profit organization dedicated to bringing together experts and visionaries in a wide range of fields for education and complex problem solving. The institution created the Aspen Prize in 2011, which highlights outstanding U.S. community colleges with high-achieving student bodies both during and after graduation. 

SPSCC was highlighted in Aspen’s 2025 Publication of the year’s winners and finalists and deep responsiveness “to its local employers—including health care providers who benefit from the college’s efforts to expand clinical placement so it can graduate more nurses.” Additionally, the institute noted SPSCC for its excellent workforce, transfer practices and individualized plans for graduation.

The Aspen Prize, as noted in the 2025 Publication of this year’s Winners and Finalists, “aims to celebrate exceptional colleges; advance a comprehensive definition of excellence in student success; and stimulate replication of effective, scalable, and systemic reforms.”

SPSCC will create an endowment through the SPSCC Foundation to support emergency grants for students facing unexpected financial challenges and assist students in need to ensure they remain on track to graduate.