Facebook Photo/Maricopa County Colleges
By Danny Shapiro | KTAR
Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill Tuesday allowing Arizona community colleges to offer four-year degrees.
Senate Bill 1453 will let community colleges offer the four-year degrees on the condition they approve individual programs based on specific criteria, including workforce need, a financial and administrative need for the program and avoiding duplication of programs.
“Arizona’s community colleges play a critical role in supporting students of all ages and equipping our workforce with skills and resources,” Ducey said in a press release. “Arizona is a school choice state and today’s action is school choice for higher education.”
Republican Rep. Paul Boyer, who introduced the bill, said he hopes the legislation will strengthen diversity and skill within the state’s workforce.