Twelve years after graduating from high school, Stephen Houx had earned a lot of college credits before and after a five-year stint in the Marine Corps, but he was still working toward a degree. Then out of the blue, he was notified last year that his time at Gateway Community College plus his courses at Arizona State University added up to an associate in science degree.
“It was a nice surprise to get that,” said Houx, who will be a senior at ASU in the fall. “It was a little motivating step along the way to let me know I’ve accomplished something. It’s easy to get lost and question your major or think you’re falling behind.”
Houx is one of nearly 500 ASU students who have benefited from “reverse transfer” — a program in which their ASU credits are added to their Maricopa Community Colleges credits and they are awarded an associate degree.
