We want students to get bachelor’s degrees

Better late than never, more Texas universities are making it easier for community college students to continue their education.

Starting out at a community college to save money attracts many students, but it can make it difficult to get four-year degrees easily elsewhere, especially in specialized fields.

Students might have difficulty getting accepted at a four-year university, and if accepted, they can have issues converting credits.

It can be discouraging to jump through administrative hoops and possibly retaking classes.

Some colleges, like Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington, already work together for a seamless transition with their Early Transfer Identification Program.

Texas A&M opened engineering academies ready to help students achieve an engineering degree without administrative hassle. The academy works with certain two-year colleges, having students co-enrolled in both schools. They take core curriculum classes at community college while being offered A&M engineering classes.

More bachelor's degrees mean more skilled workers in the job market. We all want that.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 5:18 PM with the headline "We want students to get bachelor’s degrees."