AUSTIN, Texas — In just a few weeks, many students in Central Texas will be preparing to head back to their classrooms for the start of the new school year.
Many of these students attend Austin Community College (ACC), which has seen an increase in enrollment over the past year.
ACC has reportedly seen an enrollment uptick of nearly 23% since fall 2023 and more than 29% from fall 2022, according to the most recent data. Not only that, but new student registrations rose by more than 27% from 2023 and more than 78% since 2022.
Specifically, the highest surge was Science, Engineering and Math at 29.9%, followed by Computer Science and Information Technology at 25% and Arts & Digital Media at a 23% spike.
According to ACC, this growth is likely because of the newly introduced free tuition pilot program, which was approved earlier this spring.Also called the College Affordability Plan, this program offers free community college courses for high school, homeschool, GED and charter school students in the graduating class of 2024.
Ahead of the upcoming school year, ACC is already seeing the benefits of this new opportunity while "Supporting our students and community with the resources they need to succeed," provost and executive vice chancellor of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Monique Umphrey said in a statement.
For those who are still interested, it's not too late to register for classes, and tuition deadlines start Aug. 13.
Upcoming students can also attend one of two Registration Rallies, set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 20 and Aug. 17 at Round Rock, Hays and Highland campuses.
This year's classes start Aug. 26 and ACC recommends submitting applications as soon as possible.