Hillsborough College secures $1.54M in funding for AI center

Hillsborough College has secured multiple federal grants to establish an Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center to provide workforce-ready training for students across Tampa Bay. 

The college secured a $1.29 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education in January, and on Monday announced it’s AI initiative was awarded another $250,000 in community project funding. 

The college’s initial award comes through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) and is allocated to funding AI-PREP4WORK: AI Innovation Center — Preparing Students and Educators for AI-Enabled Workplaces. That program is Hillsborough College’s four-year initiative to expand applied AI education and workforce preparation, giving students hands-on exposure to emerging technologies in the workplace, according to a release from the college

“As artificial intelligence continues to transform industries, this grant ensures the college remains a leader in innovation,” Christopher Paynter, dean of Associate in Science Programs at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry Campus says in the release. 

The college’s additional $250,000 grant for the center comes from Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding, and was secured with help from U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, the college says. “We are very thankful to Congresswoman Kathy Castor for her unwavering support of Hillsborough College,” Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater says in the release. “This funding represents a significant investment in our students and educators as we expand our artificial intelligence education and workforce preparation through the implementation of the new Innovation Center.”

The grant will pay for new classroom resources and needed technology to support students enrolled in the college’s AI-related courses, the release says. 

Hillsborough College serves more than 46,000 students each year at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay.