Gov. Greg Abbott directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Wednesday to work on pathways for students to earn bachelor’s degrees in three years.

Such a program could have college students take about 90 hours of classes instead of 120 to earn a degree, thus reducing the cost of higher education, shortening the time for degree completion and allowing the state to respond to workforce demands quicker, state leaders said.

“Texas students are our future leaders and the workforce of tomorrow,” Abbott wrote in a statement announcing the directive. “They deserve the option to receive a degree in a high-demand, high-wage field in less time as a means to reduce the overall cost of securing a degree.”

Officials at the coordinating board must establish a working group to develop recommendations based on student demand, employer needs, institutional approval requirements and other needs.

The announcement comes amid a broader push by Abbott to address the affordability of higher education in Texas. He has mandated a tuition freeze for public colleges and universities since the 2023-24 school year, and this week he expressed support for legislation requiring four-year universities to offer financial discounts to undergraduates taking summer classes.

“Every semester adds tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation, and other living expenses and delays students’ ability to begin their careers,” Abbott said in a media release.

Less than half of Texas undergraduate students at four-year universities earn their degrees in four years, and those from low-income families are far less likely to receive a degree or certificate, according to state data.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the primary accreditor for many of the state’s public colleges and universities, began approving three-year degree programs in December.

Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said shorter pathways could help students enter high-demand fields a year earlier as well as lower the cost of college.

The nonprofit research group RAND reported that 26 U.S. states have at least one college offering a three-year bachelor’s degree as of this spring, although the programs are largely concentrated in a few states.

Coordinating board officials plan to have public college and university administrators, faculty leaders and other stakeholders meet and submit recommendations to the governor’s office by Dec. 31. Abbott, who is running for reelection in November, said he would then work with lawmakers next year to establish the pathways.