Hcc Economic Opportunities

HCC Provides Educational Opportunities for the Spring Branch Community For a number of years, residents of Spring Branch have met to discuss higher education opportunities in the community. To that end, HCC has engaged in the dialogue to bring new programs and expanded educational opportunities to the Spring Branch community. This effort began with students and community leaders who aligned their interests and coordinated efforts around their higher education goals. HCC has been reaching out to the entire community to gather ideas and input on the vision for the community.

HCC Spring Branch HCC prepares students for success through an award-winning curriculum, the state’s largest number of exemplary career training programs, and a vast array of continuing education programs. Courses are taught by highly qualified teachers, as 40% of full-time faculty at HCC Northwest hold Ph.D’s or other terminal degrees. HCC is first in associate degree transfers to the University of Houston and second in transfers to the University of Texas and Texas A&M University. The HCC Spring Branch Campus, located at 1010 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N., offers a wide variety of academic, workforce training and continuing education programs and serves 7,000 students. Register for classes at hccs.edu, or call 713-718-5700.

HCC’s Vision Houston Community College will become the nation’s most relevant community college by providing opportunity and ensuring we are essential to our community’s success. HCC positively impacts the region’s economy, increases students’ lifetime income, reduces the demand for social services and generates government revenue. HCC offers high quality, affordable education for: • academic advancement • career and technical training • online classes • lifelong learning

HCC’s Impact on our City and the Houston Economy

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• Every $1 tax invested in HCC returns $5.10 to the community in economic benefits. • Past students contribute $40 billion annually. • Taxpayers save $32.9 million annually in costs the government would otherwise allocate to health, medical, crime and welfare. • Students receive 21.5% annual ROI resulting from higher education. • Taxpayers benefit annually by $860.4 million from added annual tax revenue of educated citizens and from avoided social costs to government. State and local government only spends $169 million on HCC education. • HCC’s annual spending adds more than $275 million to the local income of the region. • Student spending contributes $33.6 million annually to the local economy. 1

Economic data based on 2008 research conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.

Campus Development Opportunities As a result of the Spring Branch visioning process, HCC has engaged in dialogue to provide expanded educational opportunities to the community. Potential opportunities for a new HCC Spring Branch Campus would include the following: • A “Beautiful Corner” at the community’s crossroads. • Reduced, in-district tuition for students. • Free tuition for dual credit. • Significant partnerships with Spring Branch Independent School District to increase college readiness and college participation. • Expanded programs in high-demand fields, such as medical careers, science, technology, engineering, math and fine arts. • Collaborations with major universities in the area on a science and engineering building. • A performing arts and conference center.

Ongoing Community Partnerships* HCC plans to continue to partner with the following Spring Branch organizations as well as expand its partnerships with other agencies and organizations throughout the community. Spring Branch Independent School District • West Houston Association • Spring Branch Management District Memorial City Management District • Newspring • University of Houston • Rice University • NASA-Johnson Space Center West Houston Leadership Institute • Houston West Chamber of Commerce • YMCA • Spring Branch Super Neighborhoods Spring Branch Family Development Center • Energy Corridor Management District

HCC Tax Rate and Tuition HCC’s tax rate, $.092 per $100, is the lowest of any community college in the Gulf Coast region. • Tuition for in-district HCC residents = $57 per 1 credit hour • Tuition for students outside HCC district = $104 per 1 credit hour • Homestead exemption = minimum of $5,000 or 10% of assessed value, whichever is greater. • An additional exemption for taxpayers ages 65 and older = $90,000. • HCC Trustees voted to reduce the tax rate for 2009. Examples 1. HCC taxpayers 65 and older with a home valuation of $100,000 pay no community college taxes. 2. HCC taxpayers with a home valuation of $100,000 pay less than $100 each year. 3. The average home owner in HCC’s district pays about $140 each year.

Please Share Your Input We are grateful for the input we have received from residents, business and community leaders throughout the Spring Branch community. We look forward to hearing your thoughts and suggestions on the draft vision for transforming the Spring Branch area through a community college initiative. To provide input or for additional information please contact Evelyn Velasquez at 713-718-5756 or [email protected].

* The list of ongoing community partnerships includes the Spring Branch organizations that HCC has partnered with over the years. The listing does not imply support of a proposed annexation effort.