San Jacinto College graduate Tracey Lozada is trading her San Jacinto College duds for Longhorn gear as she prepares to attend the University of Texas at Austin. Photo credit: Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College marketing department.

Transfer student says educational planners saved her time, money

Rob Vanya, July 31, 2012

PASADENA, Texas — San Jacinto College graduate Tracey Lozada’s transfer to the University of Texas (UT) at Austin was a smooth, seamless transaction thanks to help she received from San Jacinto College educational planners.

“The time I spent meeting with advisors at San Jacinto College was definitely worthwhile,” commented Lozada. “Because of their guidance, when I went to enroll at the university I was instantly accepted, no questions asked. It was truly a seamless transfer.” Lozada earned an associate degree in biology from San Jacinto College in May, and will begin at UT in the fall, majoring in microbiology.

Counseling with educational planners also helped Lozada save money. “The advisors are the experts, and they keep track of all of the transfer and articulation agreement course requirements, which change from time to time,” she remarked. “With their help, I was able to take several courses at San Jacinto College that I had not planned on taking, and those courses would have cost a lot more at the university.”

Lozada offers some no-nonsense advice to San Jacinto College students. “Don’t put it off, make an appointment to meet with an educational planner and map out a transfer plan,” she said. “It does not take long, and you will save yourself time and money. Some students think they can figure out transfer plans on their own, but really they cannot. Educational planners keep track of all the partnerships and follow changes in degree requirements.”

Lozada scheduled meetings with educational planners at the beginning and at the end of each semester while attending San Jacinto College, just to ensure that her course load fulfilled her desired degree plan requirements. She also communicated regularly with UT educational planners to ensure that she was on track at the university level.

As a science major, Lozada is on a career track with solid potential. There is a critical need in America for students in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, math), and San Jacinto College maintains transfer plans and articulation agreements that enable science and computer engineering majors to transfer seamlessly to numerous universities, including the University of Houston, the University of Houston Clear Lake, Sam Houston University, and Lamar University.

Additionally, San Jacinto College is a part of the Voluntary Mechanical Engineering Transfer Compact, which has the endorsement of many universities with engineering programs. “Four-year schools’ engineering programs are almost universally pleased to have our students transfer into them,” commented James Sells, a math professor at the College. “We offer significantly less expensive courses, smaller class sizes, and teachers whose focus is student learning.”

Some upper level institutions that are a part of the Voluntary Mechanical Engineering Transfer Compact include Lamar University, Midwestern State University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas Tech University, UT-Arlington, UT-El Paso, UT-San Antonio, UT-Tyler, UT-Permian Basin, UT-Pan American, the University of North Texas, and West Texas A&M University.

For more information about San Jacinto College’s transfer plans and articulation agreements, please visit www.sanjac.edu/transfers.

About San Jacinto College

Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for more than 50 years. The Achieving the Dream Leader College is committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of 30,000 students in more than 200 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career preparation. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of growing industries in the region. San Jacinto College graduates contribute nearly $630 million each year to the Texas workforce. San Jacinto College. Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.