Effort would lower tuition for Round Rock students

If you live in Round Rock, chances are you will soon have the option to join the ACC District and receive all the benefits of living “in-district,” including free Early College Start classes, the convenience of a brand-new campus, and lower tuition. Round Rock leaders have started the legwork to bring the measure up for a vote.

“I will definitely tell my parents to vote yes,” said 19-year-old Amy Sorensen, who experienced sticker shock when she registered for an ACC class.

Round Rock Campus Conceptual Drawing 2

Click on image for expanded view of conceptual drawing of ACC-Round Rock campus.

“I was surprised to see that my biology class cost $500 just because my parents live out-of-district.”

A successful annexation would cut tuition by more than half for Sorensen and about 2,500 other ACC students who live within the two-thirds of the Round Rock Independent School District (RRISD) not currently included in the ACC District.

If all goes well, the college will build its largest campus there.

“Of over 5,000 students attending ACC from Williamson County and Round Rock, only 512 take classes at the Round Rock Higher Education Center,” said John Hernandez, chair of the Board of Trustees. “This tells us we need to build a comprehensive campus in Round Rock.”

Sorensen, a nursing major, will return to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the fall but says she would like to see an ACC campus in her hometown.

“It would be nice to have a campus here and not have to drive into Austin.”

The ACC District Board of Trustees recently approved the purchase of land adjacent to the Round Rock Higher Education Center for the future campus. Another portion of the land has been donated.

Round Rock leaders hope to have the measure on the ballot in May 2008.

Click here to learn more about the Round Rock annexation effort.

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