Texas community colleges will offer bachelor's degrees and 'give countless more Texans access' with new law

A new Texas law allows community colleges to offer bachelor's degrees.

The law was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott and will allow all community colleges to teach up to five four-year degrees, said State Rep. Mayes Middleton (R-Wallisville) in a Facebook post. 

He announced the passage of the bill at the College of the Mainland (COM) in Texas City on July 1. 

"This is an issue near and dear to my heart that I have been fighting for two sessions in a row. The legislation will give countless more Texans access to career driven four-year degrees, at much lower cost and with less student debt— all while living in the community," Middleton said in the Facebook post. 

House Bill 3348 relates "to the number of baccalaureate degree programs certain public junior colleges may offer," the bill tracker states.

"College of the Mainland appreciates the state legislature’s support of our continued growth as we work to expand our offerings," Dr. Jerry Fliger, COM vice president for instruction, said in a college press release. "This is a monumental opportunity for COM to build an even stronger foundation for student success." 

The College of the Mainland will offer its first four-year degree in nursing, ABC 13 reported.

In Houston, the Lone Star College already offers a few four-year degrees including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity and Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy, Manufacturing and Trades Management, Bluebonnet News reported. 

Fliger said that the college is looking into adding more programs. 

"We are actively engaged with community and industry leaders to assess the opportunities for further expansion of our baccalaureate programs," Fliger said in a press release. 

Abbott signed the bill into law on June 16 and it is effective immediately, said the bill's tracker.