Access
Approximately 97 percent of our state’s population lives within 30 miles of a higher education institution. Our three-tier state system (community colleges,
regional universities and research institutions) promotes initial access for all Oklahomans, and growing online offerings expand access even further. Our students also benefit from one of the most affordable higher education systems in the country. In a report from the U.S. Department of Education, Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in affordability for a four-year college education.
There are many initiatives currently in place that are having a positive impact on access in our state. Here are a few highlights:
Oklahoma’s Promise (Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program) has enrolled more than 67,000 students since its inception in 1992 and is expected to grow significantly in the years to come.
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program designed to better prepare middle and high school students for college through a variety of programs.
EPAS (Oklahoma Educational Planning and Assessment System) provides assessments of college readiness in the eighth and 10th grades. While more improvement is needed, ACT composite scores have increased statewide to an all-time high of 20.7.
OKcollegestart.org is a comprehensive, Web-based information system for prospective and current college students. It features a wide range of functions and provides students with a “one-stop-shop” for college planning and preparation.
Cooperative alliances are agreements between 28 technology centers and 16 higher education institutions that have allowed high school and adult students to earn college credit for taking specific technology center courses. In 2006, more than 4,000 students enrolled in nearly 40,000 credit hours each semester. Half of those students were enrolled in high school and received free tuition for their technology center courses.
Concurrent enrollment provides another way for high school students to earn college credit. More than 9,000 students have received free tuition when they enrolled in college classes over the last two years, and that number is expected to continue to grow.
ReachHigher is Oklahoma’s degree-completion program that provides a flexible option for working adults with more than two years of college. Students can earn a bachelor’s degree while balancing family, work and financial obligations. The program began in spring 2007, and by the fall, more than 100 adult students were majoring in the program at eight different institutions.
