Linda Thor

Linda Thor

A bill that would allow community colleges to offer four-year degree programs recently passed in the Arizona House with a 57-3 vote. 

Linda Thor, a governing board member of the Maricopa County Community College District, has been supporting this effort since 1996. This is the farthest a bill like this has gotten in the Arizona Legislature, she said. 

“It’s a convergence of the fact that we know we need more bachelor degree prepared people in the workforce and we know we need to find a lower cost alternative in order to address the high student debt," Thor said. 

This year, proponents of the bill by Rep. Becky Nutt met with representatives from the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state’s public universities, and made compromises necessary for the board to stay neutral on the bill, instead of oppose it like in previous years, Thor said. 

If this bill passes, MCCCD could create four-year programs in areas with high workforce demand such as health care, applied technology and education. Thor estimates the cost to convert some of the district’s two-year degree programs would be minimal since faculty and other infrastructure is already in place. 

But Thor believes the savings would be significant for the students. 

“At $84 a credit times 120 credit hours generally need for a bachelor's degree, the cost of a four-year degree from us would be just over $10,000," she said, assuming the district wouldn't charge more for 4-year degrees. 

By contrast, tuition and fees for in-state, undergrad students at Arizona’s public universities are between $11,000 to nearly $13,000 a year, according to figures from ABOR's website, but a spokeswoman said in fiscal year 2020, after subtracting gift aid students receive, the average amounts paid by Arizona residents were between $2,500 and $4,700.

The bill is now headed to the state Senate. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: KJZZ is licensed to the Maricopa County Community College District. This story was updated to include figures on the amount Arizona residents paid at public universities during fiscal year 2020.