Austin Community College continues to explore College Affordability Plan

AUSTIN — To help reduce the financial burden for students to pursue higher education, the Austin Community College District (ACC) is still in the process of looking at a proposed College Affordability Plan.

The proposed plan has an innovative pilot program that would provide free tuition for members of the class of 2024 who live within the ACC service area, including high school graduates and GED/High School Equivalency completers.

“It's a college affordability plan, which is a pilot study for graduating seniors right now. It's in our entire service area, which is a lot of Central Texas,” said ACC Board Chair Dr. Barbara P. Mink. “Even though our name is ACC, it is the Austin Community College District, and so it's a huge area of Central Texas that we're trying to impact.”

All high school students or GED completers who graduate after July 1, 2023, and live in the ACC service area would be eligible for three years of free tuition, according to the proposal. For example, an eligible student graduating from high school in May 2024 will receive free tuition from fall 2024 through summer 2027.

Also, students who complete the initial program would be eligible for an additional two years to obtain a bachelor’s degree from the college for a total of five years of free tuition at ACC.

“They don’t have to be full-time. The pilot is focusing on three years, so they'll have three years from the start of the fall to finish their program. Part of our design process, working with families through this and having them give us feedback, the longer it takes a student to get a degree, the less likely they are to get it,” explained ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “If college affordability is the biggest barrier, and we're removing that barrier, we want to incentivize students getting their credential or their degree and either going into the workforce or transferring to the university. That three-year frame is giving them time to be part time, but they could be part-time and go year-round and still get a degree in that timeframe.”

Other highlights of the proposed program include students within the service area, but not in the taxing district, would still be responsible for the out-of-district fee and eligible students would be encouraged to apply for additional financial aid and scholarships to support other college and life expenses, including child care, living expenses, food and housing.

The college first began evaluating the proposal after looking at regional data that indicated a significant shift in college enrollment rates in Central Texas. In 2023, 57% of high school graduates didn’t enroll in postsecondary education after graduating, according to ACC. Potential ACC students, those who started an application, but ultimately chose not to enroll, indicated that tuition costs were the overwhelming reason why they were postponing college.

“When we were looking at our regional data and our specific Austin Community College data, there was a really concerning number that popped up. A decade ago, 60% of all regional graduating seniors graduated high school in the spring and enrolled in a postsecondary institution in the fall … Now, only 43% of our students are graduating high school and then going somewhere. In a decade, we have completely flipped, where from the majority going to a higher education entity to the majority not going anywhere was a really shocking number,” said Lowery-Hart. “It was shocking and concerning because education attainment is such a direct correlation to economic growth and development and we're known as a region with a high educational outcomes and education attainment, but our regional data is showing a shift.”

The chancellor added that there is a national conversation surrounding student loan forgiveness and college affordability. Therefore, for those who may be concerned about the proposed pilot program, he reminds those individuals that the cost of tuition and fees can be an obstacle for many who want to attend college.

“When I went to school … the cost of going to college and university was dramatically different than it is today and in this region, in particular, the affordability of the region, and not just the cost of tuition and fees, is a barrier for people to live their best life,” Lowery-Hart said. “I think this is the conversation that we've been having with our trustees, acknowledging the affordability issues in the region [and] what our students are telling us about the affordability of our tuition and fees and finding a pilot that can test whether removing that barrier actually helps ensure that more students enroll and then finish.”

Dr. Mink agreed with the chancellor’s statement, saying that this pilot program could help the students graduate and then transition into well-paying jobs in the region, ultimately contributing to the economic viability of Central Texas.

Development of the pilot program has been on an expedited timeline to date. The college first presented a preliminary proposal to the ACC Board of Trustees in January and answered initial follow-up questions during the board’s February work session.

A formal proposal was presented to the board for the first time on Monday, March 4. After careful consideration, the ACC Board of Trustees requested more time for due diligence to examine the sustainability and growth of a proposed College Affordability Plan. The board will review updates and new details at its next work session and regular meeting on April 1.

More information on the proposal can be found at www.austincc.edu/freetuition.