ARLINGTON, Texas (Jul. 24, 2012)
Tarrant County College has renewed partnerships with the University of Texas at Arlington and the Arlington and Mansfield school districts to aid dedicated students on their path to earning a full bachelor’s degree.
Through agreements signed Monday, TCC and UT Arlington and the two school districts, pledge to provide additional staff and scholarship resources to guide students and families who want the highest quality education from high school through college.
The initiative will encourage high school students who complete 24 semester credit hours of dual credit college courses in their junior and senior years to advance to Tarrant County College to earn their associate degree. The high school college-credit courses allow students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously, with the potential to earn up to a year of college credit toward their undergraduate degree.
TCC and UT Arlington admissions and academic advising staff will work with students to ensure that they take courses accepted toward their bachelor’s degree from the four-year institution. High-performing transfer students would be eligible for a UT Arlington scholarship of up to $10,000.
Students who complete all three phases of the program and qualify for the scholarship could save $25,000 off the total cost of their undergraduate education and earn a college degree for less than $10,000 in tuition and fees.
UT Arlington President James D. Spaniolo commended TCC Chancellor Erma C. Johnson Hadley, TCC senior staff and leaders of the Arlington and Mansfield school districts for development of the partnership.
“Ultimately, we all want to help as many students as possible earn their college degrees and fulfill their potential,” Spaniolo said. “UT Arlington is committed to ensuring that students who invest their efforts in dual credit courses and take advantage of the excellent associate degree programs through Tarrant County College will achieve a high quality bachelor’s degree at a cost most can manage.”
Chancellor Johnson Hadley noted that an accelerated degree plan allows students who successfully complete the three stages of the program to achieve significant savings, which also benefits taxpayers who support educational institutions.
“It absolutely takes the community college component to make this happen,” Johnson Hadley said. “Through collaboration with independent school districts and UT Arlington, we are creating seamless pathways for students that will enable them to graduate sooner – saving time and money.”
Marcelo Cavazos, interim superintendent for the Arlington school district, said more than 700 district students enroll in dual credit courses each year. He commended his colleagues for working to align high school and college courses to smooth the path to a college degree.
Mansfield school district Superintendent Bob Morrison said the initiative removes a critical barrier by increasing college affordability for students and their families. The district enrolls about 370 students a year in dual credit courses.
For more information about the accelerated degree plan, high school students should contact their school counselor. General admissions information for TCC is available online at www.tccd.edu and for UT Arlington at http://www.uta.edu/uta/admissions.php.
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