A&M/BLINN TEAM PROGRAM RECOGNIZED

  

The Texas A&M Blinn Transfer Enrollment at A&M (TEAM) Program has once again been recognized as one of the exceptional educational partnerships in the state of Texas.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has named the co-enrollment partnership, which allows hundreds of additional students to qualify for Texas A&M University’s freshman class each year, one of eight finalists for the 2014 Star Awards. The awards recognize exceptional contributions toward meeting one or more of the goals of the Texas higher education plan, Closing the Gaps by 2015.

Star Award winners will be revealed Nov. 21 during the annual State of Higher Education luncheon, held in conjunction with the 2014 Texas Higher Education Leadership Conference.

The first co-enrollment program of its kind between a major university and a community college, the TEAM Program received the Coordinating Board’s Recognition of Excellence in 2013. This Fall, 1,091 students enrolled in the program.

TEAM allows students to enroll at both schools with part-time admission to Texas A&M and is offered only to qualifying students during the Texas A&M freshman admissions process.

Participating students are enrolled in one academic course at Texas A&M each semester and complete the remainder of their courses at the Blinn – Bryan campus. Students who complete 45 Blinn credit hours and 15 Texas A&M credit hours within two years, with a 3.0 grade point average at each school, are automatically admitted to Texas A&M. TEAM students can apply for transfer admission sooner when they meet the eligibility requirements.

“The TEAM Program demonstrates the collaborative potential between elite four-year institutions such as Texas A&M and community colleges with strong academic standards such as Blinn,” said Dr. Harold Nolte, Blinn College district president. “We’re very proud to be part of a program that has proven so successful in helping students realize their academic dreams.”

Through TEAM, students enjoy the university experience afforded by Texas A&M and the smaller classroom environment and lower costs offered at Blinn. Students enrolled in 15 semester credit hours in the TEAM program save as much as $1,500 compared to students enrolled in 15 credit hours at Texas A&M.

“Cost savings for TEAM students are phenomenal,” said Dr. John O. Beaver, dean of Educational Partnerships. “In addition to the lower costs Blinn offers, students are eligible for Texas A&M financial aid, dorm residence and activities such as sporting events.”

Approximately 76 percent of students enrolled in TEAM earn full enrollment at Texas A&M, and of those who matriculate, 88.8 percent go on to graduate. TEAM’s success is one of the reasons why Blinn’s academic transfer rate is one of the highest in the nation.

The Coordinating Board received 33 nominations and 28 applications for this year’s Star Award Program. This year’s other finalists are:

  • Lee College and Goose Creek ISD – Gulf Coast Partners Achieving Student Success
  • Odessa College – Drop Rate Improvement Program (DRIP)
  • San Antonio College and San Antonio Independent School District – San Antonio College GED to College Transition
  • Texas A&M University – Commerce – Office of Hispanic Outreach and Student Programs
  • Texas A&M International University – First Year Experience Program
  • University of Houston – Downtown and Project GRAD – UHD & Project GRAD Partnership
  • The University of Texas at El Paso – Developmental Math Program

“These finalists represent the state’s most effective efforts for closing the education gaps that challenge our state,” said Raymund A. Paredes, commissioner of higher education. “The Coordinating Board is proud to recognize the people and the institutions that develop and implement these programs, as well as the organizations and others who support them. We look forward to announcing the winners in November.”

For more information regarding the TEAM Program, visit www.blinn.edu/team andblinnteam.tamu.edu.

(Story courtesy: Richard Bray,  Blinn Information)

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