The Board of Trustees moved to fund and establish an honors college at the BOT meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
FGCU is home to an honors program since 1996 that currently includes a body of 750 students with the average honors class size being around 15 people.
The College of Arts and Sciences is home to the most honor students with 52.6 percent of the total program.
Biology remains the most popular program among that demographic.
In 2017, the program will expand the college, funded by carry forward funds from the previous fiscal year, money in the budget that was unexpended.
The current proposed budget would allow for over $1.75 million to be spent on the college over roughly three years.
It has been discussed in the past that the universities low draw of honor students is due in part to the lack of an honors college. The implementation of one is hope to increase the draw from both honors applicants and National Merit Scholarship winners.
As of now in order to apply for the college as a first-year college student, applicants need a minimum of a 3.5 GPA in high school and a 1220 SAT and 25 ACT. Automatic first consideration is given with a 3.9 GPA in high school and a 1320 SAT and 28 ACT.
Current FGCU students are eligible for application to the honors college with a 3.5 FGCU cumulative GPA and the completion of at least 12 Credit Hours and up to 60.
