While the 50 colleges of the Texas Association of Community Colleges are all participants and have articulation agreements with the university, WGU Texas officials said they focused on a dozen large colleges that have shown the greatest interest in the program. These include Houston Community College and Austin Community College. "We have started these discussions and we hope to be able to reach agreements that are at least similar in mind when it comes to giving great value and priority to Community College transfer students who are obtaining associate degrees," he said in an email. Milliron and Partridge point out that articulation agreements do not mean that Western governors compete with public universities. This is because Western governors focus on adult students, while public universities most often enroll 18-24 year olds. WGU Indiana and Washington branches have similar programs, including the 5 percent cut, Partridge said. The university has national articulation agreements with community colleges in seven states, some of which include rebates and scholarships for associate graduates, as well as "more flexible marketing partnerships" with 330 community colleges across the country, including large systems like Maricopa Community College in Arizona. But Katsinas said that financial incentives for students in transfer contracts are becoming more frequent. And in the face of deep budget cuts in many countries, public universities are struggling to meet student demand. This helps to open the door to the governors of the West. Western governors have tried to limit its articulation agreements to states, mainly because of the complexity of escaping and maintaining agreements with hundreds of two-year institutions, Partridge said.

Western governors also say they want to engage in the national "closing program." And the new agreements with community universities will benefit university students who do not arrive at their destination. Three countries have "supported" Western governors as a quasi-public institution. The Texas institution started last year and has joined the current ones in Washington and Indiana. To date, it has enrolled 2,600 students. The university is "largely generous in the transmission and acceptance of courses," Partridge said. Western Governors U. accelerates the degree even before students enroll by offering financial benefits to associate graduates and WGU Texas through partnerships with community colleges. The program is not entirely altruistic. It`s a good call for students. And those who benefit will be more likely to succeed in university.

Western Governors is not the first university to promote associate degree degree by transfer students, said Stephen G.