More than 70% of students who earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the past decade had a transfer credit from El Paso Community College (EPCC). Recently, both institutions agreed to optimize course applicability for degrees in business, engineering, education, and health sciences.
According to UTEP, thanks to the renewed agreement students will have a more convenient pathway to a bachelor’s degree. The memorandum of understanding signed by UTEP President Heather Wilson and EPCC President William Serrata will further eliminate barriers for students transferring between or simultaneously enrolled in UTEP and EPCC.
“Earning a bachelor’s degree opens opportunities that are life-changing,” Wilson said. “The partnership between UTEP and EPCC has been a model for the country. This updated agreement further improves our ability to provide access to exceptional higher education.”
The agreement creates the framework to build on previous work to improve the transfer, admissions, and financial aid processes for students transferring from EPCC to UTEP.
“Together, EPCC and UTEP are committed to ensuring that students participate in higher education and that they are able to have a seamless transfer and find fulfilling jobs as they enter the workforce,” Serrata said. “By working jointly, we ensure that individuals realize that college is within reach, that higher education is the pathway to economic mobility and that now is the best time to pursue a higher education in order to launch a successful career.”
Sarita Brown and Deborah Santiago, co-founders of Excelencia in Education, a national organization with the mission to accelerate Latino student success in higher education, also attended the signing ceremony.
“The partnership between UTEP and EPCC is a long-standing and nationally recognized model for how community colleges and universities can effectively align and connect to promote Hispanic student success,” said Brown, president of Excelencia in Education. “Many Latino students who begin their pursuit of a college education at community colleges aspire to earn a bachelor’s degree and beyond. It’s in all our interests, and certainly our responsibility as educators, to support students as they strive to achieve their highest aspirations.”
The newly signed MOU will create processes to better align course offerings so that EPCC students can focus on classes that will be applied toward a UTEP degree. UTEP has already created a team focused on helping develop these academic pathways. Additionally, the University has allocated $500,000 toward scholarships for students who transfer from EPCC and will look to increase that funding.
“The transfer enhancements that we are making to academic pathways between UTEP and EPCC will ultimately reduce the cost and time for students to earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Virginia M. Fraire, Ph.D., vice provost for student success and strategic initiatives at UTEP. “This will greatly improve the higher education outcomes in our region.
EPCC serves nearly 25,000 students and offers 145 degree and certificate programs. Since 1969, the college has remained focused on engaging students, growing community partnerships, and fostering excellence. By creating a college-going culture and implementing innovative student success initiatives, EPCC is transforming the pathway to higher education and building a stronger workforce for our region.
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 94% of our more than 24,000 students are minorities, and half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 169 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
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