Community colleges are the primary audience for the award, so any community college is eligible to participate in the Award Program. A community college is broadly defined as a public institution of higher learning that is primarily intended to serve the local region around its physical location and where the primary focus is on degrees or educational attainment other than a four year bachelor’s degree (though bachelor’s degrees could be offered). Ineligible parties include sub-units of a community college (e.g., individual campuses within a community college organization), individual employees in a community college, private colleges, research universities, and traditional four-year universities, and organizations that provide services to community colleges, but do not teach students.

GFOA membership is not a requirement to participate in the GFOA Award for Best Practices in Community College Budgeting.