Get to Know: LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network

LCAN Coverage Area: Hillsborough and Pinellas counties

LEAP Tampa Bay is a network of 17 founding partners from across the sectors of business, education, government, and philanthropy, with another 70-plus supporting organizations across Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. The network is committed to changing lives by connecting residents to education and training beyond high school through its mission to “transform lives by leveraging the power of community collaboration to accelerate personal, workforce, and community prosperity through education.”

LEAP has begun creating systemic change around post-secondary attainment and is well-positioned to continue methodically building an ecosystem of partnerships that can impact a wide portion of a student’s post-secondary journey.

Our goal is to have 60% of working age Tampa Bay adults holding a post-secondary degree or credential by 2025. As of the most recent measurements (2021), we are now at an overall attainment rate of 56+% having gained more than a full percentage point toward our goal since our launch in 2016.

Originally funded by a grant from the Lumina Foundation and with backbone support from Community Foundation Tampa Bay, LEAP has consistently aimed at expanding access and success in postsecondary education particularly among adults, low-income students, students of color, and first-generation college students.