PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Oct. 1, 2026) – For a student beginning college, the path to a bachelor’s degree is not always a straight line.
Sometimes it takes time to find the right major. Sometimes students need additional academic preparation before taking on a four-year university experience. And sometimes the distance between a two-year college and a university can feel like a gap students have to cross on their own.
Prairie View A&M University and the Blinn College District are working to change that.
The two institutions have launched the Prairie View A&M-Blinn PASS (Partnership for Academic Success and Support) Program, a new co-enrollment partnership designed to create a more connected path for students from the beginning of their college journey through their transition to a bachelor’s degree at PVAMU.
“Prairie View A&M University and Blinn College share a responsibility to ensure that talented students across Texas have meaningful opportunities to advance their education and realize the full measure of their potential,” said Dr. Tomikia P. LeGrande, President of Prairie View A&M University. “PASS allows us to bring the strengths of our institutions together in a way that expands opportunity for students, strengthens their path to a bachelor’s degree, and helps Texas develop the educated, highly skilled workforce our state’s continued growth demands.”
Under PASS, students selected by PVAMU through its first-year admissions process will enroll simultaneously at both institutions. Most of their coursework will be completed at Blinn’s Waller location, with additional courses taken at nearby PVAMU.
But students will not have to wait until they transfer to become part of the Panther community.
PASS students will be members of both college communities and will have access to student services, academic advising, activities and organizations at both institutions. They will also be eligible to live on the PVAMU campus and will receive academic support from advisors at both PVAMU and Blinn.
The first students will be invited to participate in PASS beginning in spring 2027, with the inaugural cohort beginning classes in fall 2027.
More than a transfer
For PVAMU leaders, the partnership is about more than creating another transfer agreement. It is about making the transition between institutions feel like part of one educational journey.
That continuity is central to PASS.
During the fall and spring semesters, students will enroll in at least 12 combined credit hours, including three to six credit hours at PVAMU and the remainder through Blinn. At least one PVAMU course each semester will fulfill a requirement within the student’s intended degree pathway.
Students will participate in PASS for at least one academic year and may remain in the program for up to two consecutive years as they work toward the requirements for full transition to PVAMU.
Students who complete the program requirements are guaranteed continuation at PVAMU, although admission to individual majors remains subject to the requirements of the applicable academic department or college.
The partnership also allows students to make progress toward credentials at both institutions. When applicable, PVAMU coursework may count toward an associate degree at Blinn, creating another opportunity for students to earn a college credential while continuing toward a bachelor’s degree.
At PVAMU, PASS will reside within the newly established University College, which brings together advising, academic support, curriculum pathways and early engagement efforts to help students build momentum, develop a sense of belonging and successfully transition into their academic majors.
Dr. Aashir Nasim, PVAMU provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, described the partnership as an opportunity for students who are still discovering their academic direction to build a foundation.
“What they do arrive at Prairie View with is a hunger and a passion to create change, not just on an individual level, but also for the community from which they come,” Nasim said.
He said the partnership allows students to explore, find their footing and better understand what they want to contribute before continuing their academic journey at PVAMU.
A pathway with a destination
For Blinn Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley, the partnership represents a new chapter in a relationship between the two institutions that has been developing through collaboration and shared commitment to students.
“PASS will provide students a supportive, affordable pathway toward their bachelor’s degree while allowing them to experience the Prairie View A&M community from the beginning of their college journey,” Hensley said.
The partnership also reflects a larger goal shared by both institutions: helping students move from education to opportunity.
Texas continues to grow, Dr. LeGrande said, creating a need for graduates prepared to contribute across industries and communities. Partnerships such as PASS can help connect students with academic experiences, research opportunities and professional preparation that can carry forward into their careers.
She pointed to the possibility of students earning degrees, realizing ambitions and creating new opportunities for themselves and their families.
“Years from now, I hope that we can point not simply to an agreement between Prairie View A&M University and Blinn College,” Dr. LeGrande said. “I hope that we will point to students whose educational journeys were expanded because this agreement existed. I hope that we will point to degrees earned, ambitions realized, and individual and family lives that have changed because our institutions understood that where a student begins should never determine the limits of where they can go.”
That vision is captured in the partnership’s simple message:
Two institutions. One student journey.
The goal is to make that journey clearer, more connected and filled with opportunity, beginning at Blinn and ultimately leading students toward a degree from Prairie View A&M.
The PASS Program is not simply about where students start college. It is about helping them see where they can go.
How PASS works
Students do not apply directly to the PASS Program. Prospective freshmen interested in attending PVAMU should complete the University’s standard freshman application through ApplyTexas or PANTHER Apply. PVAMU will identify eligible applicants and invite selected students to participate in PASS.
For more information about PASS or to apply for freshman admission to PVAMU, visit pvamu.edu/admissions or contact University College at theuniversitycollege@pvamu.edu.
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