Texas A&M University-San Antonio and Alamo Colleges partner for "Affordable Degree"
SAN ANTONIO — At a press conference earlier today, Texas A&M University-San Antonio in conjunction with the Alamo Colleges announced a special "Affordable Degree" that will allow students to earn a university degree for the modest cost of just under $10,000. The first in this initiative for expanding the affordability of higher education will be a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences (B.A.A.S.) with an emphasis on Information Technology. It will incorporate dual credit courses at the high school level, classes at the Alamo Colleges and a seamless transfer plan to Texas A&M-San Antonio.
"Cooperation between Texas A&M University-San Antonio and the Alamo Colleges has resulted in a benefit to our students," said Dr. Bruce Leslie, chancellor of the Alamo Colleges."The total cost of the degree will cost $9,672 – a significant savings to students."
San Antonio College's Information Technology & Security Academy and the Center for Information Technology & Cyber Security at Texas A&M-San Antonio are integral academic components of this B.A.A.S. program.
"This degree plan is an excellent representation of how our education institutions are working together to meet the high demand for skilled graduates in the information technology and security fields," said Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, president of Texas A&M University-San Antonio. "Our students understand the value of a college education, but affordability will always be a critical part of accessibility. This is one of the ways in which Texas A&M-San Antonio is helping our students achieve their goals."
The first students for this degree track can begin as early as fall 2012 in high schools in the San Antonio, Judson and Comal Independent School Districts with college-level coursework. The new Affordable Degree plan is one of only three select programs being launched across The Texas A&M University System resulting from the desire to provide an exceptional educational value in the face of skyrocketing costs.