On Aug. 28, 2000, students working toward getting a bachelor's degree will no longer have to look any further than Palo Alto College.

The Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center-Palo Alto will begin offering junior- and senior-level courses then in six program areas: Business Administration

with a specialty in Management, Computer Information Science, Nursing, Criminology, Psychology & Elementary Interdisciplinary Studies. Students will be able to take a full load in these upper level course programs.

State Sen. Frank Madla of San Antonio was the driving force behind this partnership. Madla pushed for a $1.6 million legislative appropriation in last year's session by emphasizing that the Southside of San Antonio was under served educationally.

Dr. Rosario Torres Raines, executive director of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville System Center at Palo Alto, said, “Our goal here is to offer the residents of South San Antonio and surrounding areas greater access to higher education.”

Dr. Torres Raines said A&M is starting out with what students' surveys said they wanted. If the project grows as expected, more course programs will be added. She also said that A&M will give students here an opportunity to receive a bachelor's or a master's degree.

“I believe that students should always have as many options as possible,” said Charley Garcia, an Education Support Specialist at Palo Alto College.

It is suspected that 500 to 1,000 students will be filling seats in these upper-level courses this coming Fall. A&M will not build classrooms until 3,500 to 5,000 students are enrolled in upper-level courses.

be sent at least three weeks before the first day of class. All course payments should be paid by August 25. The mailing address is: Office of Admissions, MSC Room 128, Kingsville, Texas 78363-8202.

The last day to drop classes for a 100 percent refund is August 26. The first registration date will be on April 18 at the Palo Alto Center. Another opportunity to register comes on June 20, followed by dates in late August. Phone registration may be done through the Javelina hotline from April 18 through August 18 at (361) 593-2398.

The benefits of attending these upper-level courses are that tuition will be less than other private and public institutions in and around town. The estimated cost for a 3-hour, upper-level course at the A&M Center at Palo Alto will be $283, pending final executive approval. Compare that to U.T.S.A's $379, Our Lady of the Lake's $1,000, Incarnate Word's $1,100; and St. Mary's $1,197.

“I am excited about A&M coming here because I may now be able to stay and avoid the shuffle to another college,” said Rickie Libby, a Criminology sophomore.

Another student finishing up here at Palo Alto College, Maria Galindo, said that A&M is not offering courses in what she needs and she will have to transfer. “I am not ready to leave the nest, because it is like a family here,” she said.

For more information, surf the web at www.tamuk.edu, call the Texas A&M Kingsville Transfer Center at (210) 921-5488, or drop by A&M's Transfer Center in Palo Alto's Student Center.