Austin Community College is joining forces with the Austin Chamber of Commerce and a number of community agencies to reach high school graduates who commit to going to college but abandon their plans.

The college is working with Capital IDEA, E³ Alliance, TG, local school districts, and the chamber on several initiatives to help students who plan to attend college directly after high school — and even begin the process — but don’t follow through. In Central Texas, that number is up to 40 percent of college-bound graduates.

Destination: ACC Saturday

On August 1, the college will host a first-of-its-kind open house and enrollment fair at three campuses.

At Destination: ACC Saturday, prospective students can complete enrollment steps — including registering for classes — to attend ACC in the fall semester beginning August 24.

“We’ve worked to make it as simple as possible for students to come in, learn how we can support their goals, and leave as a new ACC student,” says Patty Behr, director of enrollment management.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cypress Creek, Highland, and Riverside campuses. The campuses were selected to offer the convenience of a north, central, and south location.

Campus tours also will be available. Visitors can find details or sign up in advance at austincc.edu/destination.

Dozens of visitors attended a July 9 open house at the new College Destination Center @ ACC.

College Destination Center @ACC

In addition to the August 1 event, ACC now offers a pop-up center at Highland Business Center that provides one-on-one help for students exploring college and career choices.

The College Destination Center @ACC is open through August from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. The office is closed Friday.

Tags: advising, College Destination Center @ ACC, enrollment, student success