HOUSTON, TX (JUNE 24, 2019) – Online, nonprofit university WGU Texas announced today the signing of agreements with Lone Star College (LSC) and San Jacinto College (SJC) that create pathways for the community colleges’ students, employees and graduates to work toward a bachelor’s or master’s degree and further their education at WGU Texas.
“With this partnership, both institutions are committed to providing our students with educational pathways to earning a four-year degree, expand their education, and increase their earning potential,” said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College Chancellor. “We are excited about helping students reach their next goal.”
This is the second transfer agreement between SJC and WGU Texas. The first was signed earlier this year and streamlined the process for SJC students and graduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing at WGU Texas.
The signing event at SJC included remarks from Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton, Jr., who is a WGU Texas and SJC graduate.
“We are excited that WGU Texas has shown an interest in continuing our students’ success,” said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., Lone Star College chancellor. “This agreement is a perfect example how two-year and four-year colleges can partner to create educational pathways for our students.” Head also joined the WGU Texas advisory board in 2019. Through the agreement with WGU Texas, LSC and SJC graduates, faculty, and staff may select among the more than 60 accredited bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in information technology, business, health professions and teaching. Transfer students also receive special benefits including:
• A 5 percent discounted tuition at WGU Texas,
• Exclusive partner scholarships, valued at up to $2,000,
• Comprehensive transfer policy.
“WGU Texas is thrilled to expand its presence in the greater Houston area by providing more LSC and SJC College students a seamless pathway to completing their bachelor’s and master’s degrees and preparing them to enter some of the state’s most in-demand careers,” said Dr. Steven Johnson, chancellor, WGU Texas. “Community colleges enroll almost half of all students in the state—over 730,000 students. This partnership creates an opportunity to link those students to alternative, viable pathways to earning a degree.”
WGU Texas’s current enrollment is more than 12,500 students, Johnson said. He added that WGU Texas students are in all nine counties that make up the Greater Houston area, with more than 1,300 transfers from Lone Star and San Jacinto Colleges, and students enrolled in 233 of the state’s 254 counties.
For more information about WGU Texas’s community college partnerships and scholarship opportunities, visit texas.wgu.edu/cc.
About WGU Texas
WGU Texas is a nonprofit, online university designed to expand access to higher education for Texas residents. Established by the state of Texas through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas offers more than 60 accredited undergraduate and graduate degree programs in high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. In 2018, WGU Texas awarded degrees to 2,445 students across the state. Since the university’s launch in 2011, more than 11,000 graduates have earned their undergraduate or graduate degrees through a variety of academic offerings. To learn more, visit texas.wgu.edu.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. San Jacinto College is a 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Top 10 institution, a 2017 Aspen Prize Rising Star Award recipient and an Achieving the Dream Leader College. The College serves approximately 45,000 credit and noncredit students annually, and offers more than 200 programs across eight areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. San Jacinto College’s impact on the region totals $1.3 billion in added income, which supports 13,044 jobs. To learn more, visit sanjac.edu.