Arizonans will soon have more bachelor's degree options through Maricopa Community Colleges, at a fraction of the price of a traditional university.

🤑 Why it matters: The total cost of a four-year degree through Maricopa Community Colleges can run as little as $15,000. At Arizona's universities, the in-state tuition price tag is closer to $50,000.

The big picture: Maricopa Community Colleges, which encompasses 10 colleges Valleywide, aims to prepare locals for the changing economy, and believes the new degrees will fill labor gaps in the state.

Driving the news: The college system announced yesterday that it'll add three additional bachelor's degree programs next spring:

• Exercise Science: Students who plan to pursue a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree after graduation can take advantage of a partnership between Mesa Community College and A.T. Still University that allows them to begin the doctoral program while in undergrad.
• Health Services Leadership: This degree, offered at GateWay Community College, will prepare students for roles in health care administration, public health and health technology — industries projected to grow by more than 20% in the next decade.
• Law and Legal Studies: Based out of Rio Salado College, this program will prep students to work as legal paraprofessionals, who are licensed to give legal advice and represent clients in some matters of law, including family and probate.

Catch up quick: The Arizona Legislature in 2021 changed state law to allow community colleges to offer some bachelor's degrees — a move that was fiercely opposed by the Arizona Board of Regents, which oversees the state's three universities.

• Community colleges can only offer degree programs that meet a workforce need and can't duplicate existing university offerings.

By the numbers: Maricopa Community Colleges has developed 11 bachelor's programs and graduated 600 students since 2023.

• More than 60% of degree seekers are first-generation college students, and nearly 40% are age 30 or older.

The bottom line: "We are no longer just an option, but rather the most affordable option for a bachelor's degree in Maricopa County," per chancellor Steven Gonzales.

Tell a student

Glendale City Council Member Lupe Conchas was wrongly ousted and must be reinstated, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled yesterday.

Why it matters: Conchas and his supporters alleged that the council's decision was politically motivated.

Catch up quick: The Glendale City Council voted 4-3 last month to remove Conchas from office, citing a provision of the city charter that bars council members from holding other paid public offices.

• The SRP Agricultural Improvement and Power District Board, which Conchas was elected to in April, pays members $60 for each meeting they physically attend.

The latest: Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Greg Como ruled yesterday that the $60 per diem doesn't constitute "compensation" and that the council exceeded its authority in expelling Conchas.

• He ordered the council to immediately reinstate him, which it did by yesterday afternoon.

The intrigue: Conchas told us last month that he believes the expulsion was largely retaliation for opposing an administrative policy the city adopted in 2022 that gives council members a $450 monthly vehicle allowance and a $900 monthly stipend for expenses.

• He's called the policy a "slush fund."

What we're watching: The Attorney General's Office is investigating the stipend and car allowance policy in response to a constituent complaint filed last year.

• The complaint argues the policy violates the Arizona Constitution's "gift clause" and circumvents a provision of the city charter requiring a public vote to increase the mayor and council members' salaries.

Tell a Glendale neighbor

🦟 Maricopa County recorded the first West Nile virus-related death of the season. (KJZZ)

📉 A new survey shows Phoenix-area business owner optimism is slipping amid concerns about gas prices and global tensions. (Phoenix Business Journal)

🗳️ One of the proposed ESA reform initiative campaigns has halted its attempt to qualify for the ballot. The other, more robust reform initiative, called the "Protect Education Act," is still collecting signatures. (KTAR)

😢 The original Native Grill and Wings restaurant in Tempe has closed after 47 years. (AZcentral)

Valley 12-year-old Andres Lopez Pacheco is heading to the FIFA World Cup later this month to watch Panama and England compete at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

• Pacheco, who was born with a complex congenital heart condition, is the 9,000th kid to have a wish granted through Make-A-Wish Arizona.

Zoom in: Pacheco's condition has prevented him from playing soccer competitively but his fandom for the sport is unwavering, according to his family.

• They said in a press release that soccer has been a source of joy for Pacheco during his medical journey, which has included four open-heart surgeries.