Osceola County's free college program is NCAN's 2026 Partner of the Year. More than 12,000 students have used it, and the county now ranks third in Florida for college-going.

Osceola Prosper, the county’s scholarship program for its high school graduates, has been named the 2026 Partner of the Year by the National College Attainment Network. The national group gave the award at its conference this week.

Osceola County Commission Chairman Brandon Arrington accepted it, the county said in its announcement Thursday. Braulio Colón, executive director of the Florida College Access Network, presented it.

“This recognition by NCAN belongs to the students who saw an opportunity through Osceola Prosper and chose to take it,” Arrington said.

What the program does

The Board of County Commissioners created Osceola Prosper in fiscal year 2022. It is now in its fifth year. According to the county:

  • it is a last-dollar scholarship for study at Valencia College or Osceola Technical College
  • it is open to graduating Osceola County seniors from public, private, charter and homeschool programs
  • students must enroll within one year of graduating
  • they have up to five years to finish a degree or program

Students who finish a qualifying associate degree can move on to the University of Central Florida through its DirectConnect program.

The numbers so far

The county gave these figures in its announcement:

  • nearly $50 million committed by the county
  • more than 12,000 students have taken part
  • more than 1,800 associate degrees completed
  • more than 1,800 certificates or trade programs completed

The county also points to its college-going rate. In 2010, Osceola ranked 61st of Florida’s 67 counties. It now ranks third in the state and first in Central Florida, the county said, with gains at every public high school.

An analysis by Valencia College, cited by the county, put the program’s return at about $85.4 million in added income for the local economy, plus $17.4 million in added tax revenue and public savings. That works out to an estimated $8 in benefits for every $1 spent.

The award

The network’s Partner of the Year award recognizes a partner that works with one of its members to help students start and finish a two-year or four-year degree. It is one of the group’s Awards of Excellence.

It is the program’s second big honor in two years. In 2025, Florida Trend magazine named Osceola Prosper its Person of the Year.

What it means for you

  • If you have a senior at an Osceola County high school, including a private, charter or homeschool program, they can apply. Details and the sign-up are on the Osceola Prosper website.
  • Watch the one-year window. Students must enroll within a year of graduating to qualify.
  • For more on local schools, see our Kissimmee schools page and our public schools guide.