Texas is launching a new program urging adults with college credits to return to higher education and get their degree.
The goal of Grad TX is to simplify the process of personalizing degree plans and advising for adults. Lamar University, Midwestern State University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas Tech University, University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston-Clear Lake, University of North Texas System and the University of Texas at Brownsville are the eight partner institutions of the program.
Amarillo College and West Texas A&M University are not currently part of the program, but are still urging adults to obtain a college degree. Amarillo College Chief Communication Officer Ellen Robertson-Green said 60 percent of jobs in the future will require some kind of training beyond high school and 20 percent will require a four-year degree. She believes a lot of adults returning to college for the same reasons.
“You wouldn’t believe how many times I walk across campus and hear the same conversation going on with students,” she said. “They’re saying ‘You know, I got laid off the job’ or ‘I couldn’t make ends meet with the job I had. So, I needed to come back and get more training.’ And that’s what they’re here for.”
Non-traditional student Jerry Moore returned to college after serving in the military and moving from one place to another. He said he’s realized the value of a degree and wants to join the other people his age in having a career.
“It makes you think,” he said. “Because if you get into jobs that don’t make you think, you get stagnant.”
Moore said he knows it is not easy for some adults to go to school when they have a family and other things keeping them busy. But he still urges them to make college a priority.
“I would tell them to go back to school. Try to take a shot at it, see if you could afford to do it full-time, see if you could do it at the part-time level.”
Regular registration for the fall semester at Amarillo College ends July 21. Late registration is Aug. 22 through 26.
West Texas A&M’s regular registration ends Aug. 7 and late registration is from Aug. 9 to Sept. 1.
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