Arlington ISD and Tarrant County College District officials signed a memorandum of understanding Monday at the TCC Southeast Campus Ballroom creating a new school, the Arlington Collegiate High School at TCC Southeast Campus, which will open in the fall of 2014.

Arlington Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos and TCC Chancellor, Erma Johnson Hadley, signed the agreement in front of a crowd of AISD and TCC board members, principals and honored guests, including Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck.

Principal of the new high school, Ben Bholan, told the audience that the Arlington Collegiate High School aims to attract students who need the facility the most, such as those who may not be able to afford a college education.

The new school is designated by the Texas Education Agency as an early college high school and will offer students an opportunity to earn their high school diploma and up to 60 hours of college credit, according to a TCC press release.

The school will also welcome approximately 100 freshmen, with approximately 100 students added to the freshman class each year.

There is no cost for student to attend the school and AISD will pay for and tuition, fees and required textbooks not covered by TCC.

Students at the school will also have access to the TCC facilities, resources and faculty.

Texas Trust Credit Union is donating $35,000 to help launch the school and will provide a $1,000 scholarship to 2018 graduating seniors who meet specific criteria, which include completing an associates degree, according to the release.

After the signing, Hadley told the audience that the AISD and TCC board members played a significant role in creating the school by focusing on the long term needs of students in the community.

Cavazos told the crowd that the creation of the Arlington Collegiate High School will transform incoming students' lives and the lives of generations to come.

"At the end of the day, it's about serving students and serving them well," Cavazos said.