COMMENTARY BY GREG ABBOTT On Affordable Higher Education In Texas
By Greg Abbott
McAllen Monitor
Our graduating high school students — the future workforce of Texas —must be equipped with both the technical skills and critical thinking skills needed to compete for the jobs growing in Texas today.
The final phase of my four-part Educating Texans Plan focuses on making higher education in Texas more affordable for more families and on reducing the crushing burden of student loan debt. It focuses on getting more students graduating on time — and on holding public colleges and universities accountable to that goal.
In 2012, more than 19,000 high school students from low-income families in Texas scored a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam, but not every Texas public college and university awards credit. Texas should adopt a statewide policy requiring public colleges and universities to award early college credit for AP scores of 3 or higher. These high school students, already showing college-level competency, could save about $1,000 in tuition per class, lessening the need for grants and loans.
For many high school students and returning adults, community college is the next step up the ladder. But these students sometimes spend an additional year taking courses that don’t transfer to a four-year university. We must make core freshman and sophomore courses more consistently transferable between our community colleges and our public colleges and universities. This will save students both time and money.
About half of all college students in Texas attend school part-time while working to pay for their education. To help more students attain an associate degree while working or raising a family, I propose block scheduling for all two-year degree programs. Morning, afternoon and evening blocks make scheduling more predictable for the student and for their employer or childcare provider.
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