They can go someplace else to a school that offers those degrees or they can take classes online.

A third option may be on the horizon.

That option would be earning a baccalaureate degree in certain high-demand careers through Iowa Central Community College.

Iowa Central President Jesse Ulrich spoke to the House Higher Education Committee Wednesday about the possibility of community colleges awarding Bachelor’s degrees.

“This is not a new, innovative idea,” Ulrich said Thursday evening. “Half the states in the country already offer these degrees through community colleges.”

He said the state has higher education deserts in which earning a baccalaureate degree is impossible without traveling long distances or going online, two options that aren’t ideal for many students.

The solution, he said, is to empower community colleges to offer some baccalaureate degree programs.

He said at Iowa Central, those degrees would be only offered in fields like nursing, accounting, advanced manufacturing and education.

He said the proposed tuition for the higher degrees would be 150 percent of the tuition for an associate degree. That, he said, would still be less than the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree at a Regents university or private college.

State Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, has introduced a bill that would enable community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees.

Ulrich testified in favor of the bill before the House Higher Education Committee.

He also asked the legislators to consider a five-year $20 million grant program for community colleges that would help them acquire what they need to begin offering baccalaureate degrees.

Collin’s proposal awaits action by a House subcommittee, perhaps as early as next week.