AND FEES Average tuition O cials from Houston Community College said should recommendations from the Texas Commission on Community College Finance be approved, tuition for students may be a ected. This comes as HCC o ers tuition rates far lower than that of four-year universities.
Credentials like the number of transfers to four-year institutions will become a more important part of community college funding should state funding changes proposed by the state commission come to fruition. Transfers AND DEGREES Transfer amounts
11,220
11,047
10,605
TUITION COST REPRESENT 15 CREDIT HOURS PER QUARTER SEMESTER
12K
9,995
9,697
HCC
PUBLIC COMMUNITY COLLEGES
10K
In district $2,541
In district
8K
-13.6% decrease in transfers over the past several years.
$3,103
+113.34%
+ 54.79%
Out of district
6K 4K
Out of district
$5,421
$4,803
Out of state
Out of state
$6,816
$4,803
0
2015-16
2016-17
2017-18
2018-19 2019-20
PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES
SOURCE: HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE COMMUNITY IMPACT
In state
$10,129
continuing education programs. Price is eyeing funding for these semesterlong programs, which she said equip students with strong skills to thrive in these industries. The college does not receive any federal funding for these programs and a very small amount from the state, Price said. These recommendations could also bring students more oppor- tunities for nancial aid, she said. “If we can reduce or eliminate [a nancial barrier] altogether, ... those are the [recommendations] we are going to advocate for,” she said. Dual credit, marketed toward high school students to get them involved in higher education early, is one program set to bene t, Price said. Under the recommendations, HCC, which waives tuition for dual-enrollment students, would receive reimbursement from the state for those students for the rst time, Maldonado said. Rima Adil, dean of students for the HCC Northwest system, which includes the Katy campus, said dual
credit is free; however, there is a at fee of $65 charged to students who reside outside the system’s service area. She added students can take either an academic or technical route. These recommendations would help diver- sify student’s options within the dual- credit program, she said. Students participating in the primarily technical programs can receive credentials while still in high school, Adil said. These students can work directly with a company through apprenticeships. “Whether it is air conditioning, refrigeration or welding, those courses are also o ered at the high school, so when students graduate, they can graduate with a skill,” Adil said. Adil said HCC has also increased its team of admission advisers from two to 11 sta members since 2021 to provide more in-depth guidance to potential students. “We are reviewing our programs, adding new programs to meet the demands of our community and our industry,” Adil said.
+114.72%
Out of state
$24,788
SOURCE: TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD COMMUNITY IMPACT
to The Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C. research think tank. Meanwhile, HCC has experienced an 11% growth since 2010 in the system’s dual-credit enrollment as students look to the program to earn early college credits, according to the college’s fall dual-credit enrollment data. Ensuring the goals of large colleges, small colleges and industries are met will be some important keys, Maldonado said. “To get a foundational aspect approved by the Legislature and the coordinating board will have long- term implications for community colleges in Texas,” he said.
Modernizing the formula The enrollment-focused
funding formula has been used by community colleges for at least the past 20 years, and as the state Legislature grapples with the commission’s recommendations, any change will be a step toward the future, Maldonado said. “Our original funding formula was very much like universities, but the college’s role over time has transformed to be able to meet the needs of the economy and a lot of the businesses...,” he said. That includes providing a pipeline for technicians and tech-focused workers; HCC would feed a tech- sector where employment grew 47% nationwide from 2010-19 at 3.9 million tech-sector workers, according
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
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4747 FM 1463, Suite 1000 Katy, TX 77494 713.852.6700 TexasBayCU.org
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KATY EDITION • NOVEMBER 2022
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