We asked, and they answered. Here are several responses from university presidents across North Texas about how colleges can help students graduate on time. As more replies come in from other local university presidents, I will post them.

DR. DAVID DANIEL, president, University of Texas at Dallas
This is a broad issue in which individual and institutional circumstances vary widely, so there's not one right answer that fits every student.

We encourage high school students considering UT Dallas to attempt as much Advanced Placement credit as they can before they come to college. Most potential freshmen who are accepted here have the academic wherewithal to attain credit through AP, which is very economical.

We also try to motivate timely completion by offering all students fixed tuition for four years. After the fourth year, the tuition moves to whatever level has been approved for that year's incoming freshmen by our board.

The fixed tuition program also offers a fixed tuition cost per semester--that is, we only charge students for up to 15 hours. Any hours a student enrolls for beyond that number are, in essence, free.

We also extend the benefit of that program to any student who attends a community college in Texas. If a prospective transfer student notifies us that they are planning to come to UT Dallas, we lock in the tuition rate as of that semester and the lock expires four years later.

DR. GRETCHEN BATAILLE, president, University of North Texas

Your editorial suggested that community colleges could be key to producing more college graduates.

Community colleges are indeed vital, as more students are using them as a stepping stone to a university. And the University of North Texas has long been a partner to community colleges to ensure that students ultimately earn their bachelor's degrees. This is why we lead Texas and rank fourth nationally among public universities for the number of transfer students we serve.

We have relied on our insight into transfer students' needs to develop strategies that ensure they graduate. Our success has translated into a 70 percent graduation rate among juniors and seniors who transfer to UNT -- but, as the editorial suggests -- these students sometimes take up to six years to graduate because of work and family obligations.

Our strategies for success include:
•Partnership: UNT has articulation agreements with 22 area community college districts to better align a student's coursework between institutions. These agreements aren't just business as usual. Our Eagle Bound program allows community college students who meet UNT admission requirements to establish a concurrent admission relationship with us. These agreements give students a clear, efficient and strategic pathway to UNT.