TCC's Tulsa Achieves Program Expects High Enrollment This Year

It's the start of a new adventure.

Some students will begin their college careers in just a few short weeks thanks to a unique program at Tulsa Community College.

Tulsa Achieves is a program paid for by the Tulsa County taxpayer; it provides high school seniors graduating from a Tulsa county school with a 2.0 GPA or higher free tuition for up to 63 credit hours.

The program basically takes care of an associate’s degree or the first two years of a bachelor's degree for free.

"I feel a little bit privileged that just because I live in Tulsa and I have this requirement that I'm able to do this,” said Cordell Emde. “But I do have that opportunity, so I am going to take it."

The program has been available for the past ten years and graduates more than 1,000 students every year to take on the workforce or head to a four-year university.

It’s something Program Director Tim Fernandez is proud of, especially with tuition costs going up across the state.

"We're a very low-cost institution with a high-quality education,” said Fernandez. “It really is the perfect recipe for success."

And they still anticipate more students to apply for the program during the enrollment period.

Classes begin August 22, and students have until August 20 to enroll for the fall semester. In fact, the TCC campuses have all extended their hours if you can't enroll online.

It's an opportunity many students are thankful for, and they're ready to take the next step this fall.