ALTAMONTE SPRINGS – Seminole State College of Florida has received $4.7 million in state Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding to begin an expansion and remodel at its Altamonte Springs Campus. The PECO funds are part of $12.7 million appropriated for Seminole State in Florida’s budget in addition to its 2023-24 appropriation and will allow the College to move forward with plans for a new workforce building and the remodel of an existing building to support student services on the campus.
“We are elated to receive funds for both projects at our Altamonte Springs Campus,” said Seminole State President Dr. Georgia Lorenz. “The campus has been at capacity since it opened in 2008. This funding will allow us to double our nursing and health care programs and provide additional space for student services, something that has been needed for a long time.”
Nursing is one of the principal programs at the Altamonte Springs Campus, where students have access to state-of-the-art health care labs, high-tech patient simulation and clinical experiences. With more building infrastructure and faculty, Seminole State can enroll more students in its nursing program as it works to address the shortage of nurses and other health care workers in Florida. Recent reports show the state is projected to be short 59,100 nurses by 2035.
With $4,376,555 to start the process for a new workforce building and $377,665 for the first year of the remodel, Seminole State’s next step will be to develop a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for each of the projects to hire design consultancy firms. The design consultancy firms will meet with employees, students and campus leadership to determine current space and program needs and begin the design phase for the new building. The idea is for the new building to house instructional space for high-wage, high-demand nursing and other workforce programs and provide STEM instructional space. Planning and design are expected to begin by the end of 2023.
In addition to the $4.7 million for its Altamonte Springs projects, Seminole State received $1,538,643 in Prepping Institutions, Programs, Employers and Learners Through Incentives for Nursing Education (PIPELINE) funds to reward the performance and excellence of the College’s nursing program and $6.5 million from the $100 million appropriated for the Florida College System (FCS) in the state budget. These funds will go toward college operations.
“It’s clear that our state leaders recognize the important role that the FCS and Seminole State play in workforce development as well as the need for expansion in health care programs,” Lorenz said in response to the positive outcome from this year’s legislative session. “We are excited to put these resources to work for our students and our community.”