Bryan Collegiate High School grad looks forward to studying health sciences at RELLIS

Citlaly Rivera will pursue her health science degree from West Texas A&M at the RELLIS Campus

July 30, 2018

Citlaly Rivera’s plan to attend Texas State University in San Marcos this fall was set when a chance meeting at Bryan Collegiate High School’s College and Career Day changed everything.

The incoming sophomore stopped to chat with a representative from the Texas A&M University System’s RELLIS Campus and walked away with a new academic journey. 

Through the RELLIS Academic Alliance, the Bryan native will have the opportunity to complete her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from West Texas A&M University.

“After learning more about the campus, I really liked the concept of nine universities coming together to offer a wide variety of degrees locally at a lower cost,” Rivera said.

Located in Bryan, the RELLIS Campus fosters cutting-edge research, technology development, higher education, and workforce training. Through the Academic Alliance, students can complete their freshman- and sophomore-level courses through Blinn College, and seamlessly complete their bachelor’s degree in related fields from an A&M System regional university, including Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Prairie View A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M International University, West Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

Blinn will open the Walter C. Schwartz Building, a new 83,000-square-foot facility at the RELLIS Campus, for the Fall 2018 semester. All RELLIS students will utilize the 19 classrooms and eight laboratories during the first academic year.

The Texas A&M System’s academic facility, located across the street from Blinn’s facility at RELLIS, is scheduled for completion in June 2019. Upper-division RELLIS students will complete their bachelor’s degrees at the facility upon its completion.

In addition to a seamless transition process, the RELLIS Academic Alliance offers a competitive tuition rate. Students enrolled in upper-division courses at one of the Texas A&M System regional universities at the RELLIS Campus pay $295 per semester credit hour, or $8,850 for a 15-hour course load for the fall and spring semesters – almost $2,000 less than many other universities in the region.

Students taking Blinn courses at the RELLIS Campus pay Blinn’s tuition rate of $111 per semester credit hour for out-of-district students.

Rivera comes to Blinn with 52 credit hours earned while attending Bryan Collegiate High School, a unique partnership between Blinn and Bryan ISD that places students on the fast track to a college degree. Rivera will earn her Associate of Science in business from Blinn before completing her Bachelor of Science in Health Science through West Texas A&M at the RELLIS Campus.

“Since I am enrolling in Blinn with so many college credit hours under my belt, I was interested in what my next step would be, especially as it applies to a bachelor’s degree,” Rivera said. “I decided I wanted to pursue the administration route and work as a non-medical professional in a hospital or clinic.”

West Texas A&M’s Bachelor of Science in Health Science serves as a foundation for students pursuing professional schooling such as medical school and physical therapy school. This degree program also offers courses that prepare students for a variety of non-medical professional opportunities in the healthcare industry, including human resources, administration, customer service, and marketing and promotions.

Blinn’s Associate of Science in biology, Associate of Arts and Associate of Science in psychology, and Associate of Science in business offer a seamless pathway to a health science bachelor’s degree from West Texas A&M.

“Before College and Career Day, I did not know anything about West Texas A&M,” Rivera said. “This is a totally new plan to attend this university. I am excited to be a part of the inaugural class at the RELLIS Campus this fall.”

The RELLIS Academic Alliance will host its final Transfer Fair at the RELLIS Campus this month. Representatives, admissions counselors, and financial aid advisors will be available to speak with prospective students Thursday, July 26, from 9 a.m. to noon and 4:30-7:30 p.m.