Writer: Jerrica DuBois
2 min read February 2024 — Alamo Colleges District is making new strides in access to education, with officials announcing the organization set a new enrollment record for the spring semester.
Across the five campuses, there was a 9.72% jump from last year with 66,703 students signing up for the spring semester, bucking the trend of declining enrollment in community colleges. According to officials, the continued growth Alamo Colleges has seen in the past 10 years is due to expanded workforce training and financial assistance programs such as AlamoPROMISE, which gives up to three years of free tuition to Bexar County high school graduates.
“Community colleges are funded differently than universities and it’s evident that the state recognizes the value of community colleges in talent development,” Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores told Invest:. “Their investment underscores the importance of institutions like Alamo Colleges. Our substantial funding is due to the performance-based system that also takes into account the demographics of those we serve. It’s a promising period for us.”
Higher education partnerships with K-12 have also become an important factor when it comes to providing access. For example, San Antonio Independent School District has partnered with University of Texas at San Antonio to allow students in the top quarter of their class to qualify for admission to UTSA as early as their junior year. The direct admission process guarantees admission to those students without the hassle of college essays, testing, or any other typical application requirements.
Many of these SAISD students are also eligible for financial support for their higher education. Under UTSA’s Bold Promise, tuition and mandatory fees are covered for students whose annual household income is under $70,000. But alongside that initiative Jaime Aquino, superintendent of San Antonio Independent School District, says there is still work to do in financial support in the K-12 space.
“Financial constraints further complicate matters,” Aquino told Invest:. “Texas underfunds public education. We rank among the bottom ten states in per pupil funding. Despite a significant budget surplus at the conclusion of the latest legislative session, not a single penny was allocated to augment our per pupil funding, which has remained the same since 2019.”
That also puts many school districts in the region in a difficult position. South San Antonio School District, for example, is mulling employee layoffs in the wake of a 9.5 million financial deficit. The trouble began after the district board members voted to reopen three previously closed schools in 2019, creating more expenses than revenue coming in. However, the district must first declare financial exigency before layoffs can take place. That means the financial resources of a school district are insufficient to support its instructional programs, or it is unable to finance the full compensation of staff for the current or next fiscal year, according to the Texas Education Agency.
While those challenges are ongoing, on a larger scale the greater San Antonio region is making positive strides within the educational landscape. According to greater:SATX, the area continues to lead the country in the number of first-generation college students graduating from area universities. The initiatives, programs and partnerships in the K-12 and higher education spaces are making an impact.
“We start by making sure families and students understand what investment is required for a college education,” Debbie Cottrell, president of Texas Lutheran University told Invest:. “There is a set tuition, but then there are loans, grants and scholarships so it gets complicated fast. We can make those costs more transparent. We are not necessarily trying to attach a dollar value to a college education, but we are trying to demonstrate quality of life, contribution to society, and being prepared for career choices. Families and students want a return on their investment, but they also want meaning and purpose.”
