New program makes transfers from Austin Community College to Texas State easy

Under a new program, Austin Community College students will get the chance to transfer seamlessly to Texas State, saving them time and money.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Community College (ACC) students will get the chance to transfer seamlessly to a four-year university through a new partnership with Texas State University (TXST).

The cleverly named "Bats to Cats" guaranteed admissions program offers students starting at ACC a smooth transfer process into Texas State when they're ready, ACC said. The idea is to increase the number of transfer students and save students time and money.

“A majority of our students come to ACC with the intent to transfer, but the process can be frustrating because it isn’t always seamless... This collaboration between ACC and Texas State is doing something big to remove some major barriers,” ACC Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart said, in part, in a statement.

Under the program, ACC automatically sends transcripts to TXST each semester, and students can receive support from TXST counselors. Enrolled students will gain automatic TXST admission for their chosen semester.

Eligible students can start applying this fall with the plan to transfer to TXST in summer 2025, fall 2025, and other future terms.

The two schools gathered Thursday at the ACC Round Rock Campus to sign a formal agreement.

ACC explained while 60% of its students report their intent to transfer to a four-year university, only 25% achieve this within three years.

ACC said TXST is the most popular choice for ACC students, with about 12% of its students transferring to TXST — almost double the number of students who transfer to the University of Texas at Austin.

Students in the program can also get free tickets to select TXST athletic events, according to ACC.