Flathead Valley Community College is the newest recipient of the Bellwether Award, a national award for community colleges that recognizes leading-edge programs worthy of replicating at other community colleges.

The college was one of just three community colleges to take home a Bellwether Award at the annual Community College Futures Assembly in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Ten finalists were named from 300 applicants.

Flathead Valley Community College was honored in the Planning, Governance and Finance category that recognizes programs designed to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

The college’s project, “Using Financial Aid Data and Fundraising Strategies to Improve Access, Persistence and Completion through Scholarships,” involved the Flathead Valley Community College Foundation working with the college’s financial aid and institutional research offices to examine if scholarships given by the foundation were being used effectively. 

Brad Eldridge, FVCC executive director of institutional research, assessment and planning, was one of the key members of the project as well as one of the presenters in Florida. 

“Colleen [Unterreiner, the executive director of institutional advancement and Eldridge’s partner on the project] asked us to look at where scholarships were going and if they were being used effectively,” he said. “We wanted to see if the students who need scholarships are getting them. We wanted to target those funds and make sure they were effective.”

The Community College Futures Assembly compares the award to being selected for the Academy Awards. The assembly serves as an independent policy summit to identify issues facing community college leaders while demonstrating programs like that at Flathead Valley Community College.

For College President Jane Karas, the accolade was just proof of the hard work of her colleagues.

“It’s been really phenomenal to watch all of the work our foundation has done to raise scholarships for our students,” she said. “For this project they really have gone above and beyond.”