The Colony Courier-Leader: More Degrees Ahead at Collin College
Collin College may now offer up to five baccalaureate degrees after the passage of Texas House Bill 3348, amending a law relating to the number of bachelor’s degrees certain community colleges could offer. This June, Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill allowing Collin College to offer an additional two bachelor’s degrees.
The bill’s passage was made possible thanks to the leadership of Rep. Leo Pacheco and Senators Angela Paxton and Brandon Creighton, with support from local members including Rep. Matt Shaheen, Rep. Candy Noble, Rep. Jeff Leach, Rep. Jared Patterson, and Rep. Justin Holland, among others. According to District President Neil Matkin, the college will continue to meet workforce needs by offering high-tech and in-demand programs at an affordable cost.
“We are deeply grateful for the overwhelming bipartisan support this bill received, and especially appreciative for the leadership of Senator Angela Paxton in helping this bill become law. Increasing these educational options means even more ways Collin College can forever change the lives of families throughout our region,” Matkin said. “We will continue to expand opportunities for all through Collin’s low-cost, extraordinarily high-quality programs and provide students with the skills necessary to be successful in life and in the workplace.”
The signing of Senate Bill 2118 in 2017 authorized certain public community colleges to offer up to three baccalaureate degree programs. Collin College currently offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a post-licensure program for registered nurses, and a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity. At the in-district rate, students can complete the BAT for less than $10,000 including tuition, fees, books, supplies and digital resources; the RN-to-BSN can be accomplished by Collin County residents for just under $13,000.
The college’s Board of Trustees approved a third bachelor’s degree in Construction Management to be available once regulatory approvals are received. The college is in the process of initiating the next steps by seeking approvals from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, followed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity degrees. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit collin.edu.
