Dec.18, 2020, Austin, Texas–The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has awarded $18.1million to Texas higher education institutions as part of the first round of awards under the Texas Reskilling Support Fund Grant Program. Through a competitive process, 40 applicants representing 49 institutions were selected for the awards.
Reskilling grants will allow Texas public colleges, technical schools, and universities to provide financial assistance to Texas students to cover tuition and fees. The grants are designed to support displaced Texas workers who need to reskill or upskill to get back into the workforce, and to support students who have previously stopped out of higher education to complete a postsecondary credential. The program is supported by a portion of the $175 million allocations to the THECB from the Governor’s Emergency Educational Relief (GEER) Fund.
“These strategic investments, supported by Governor Abbott and our Texas legislative leadership, will play an important role in supporting Texas students and driving the recovery of the Texas economy. We can help students who have previously stopped out of higher education without completing a postsecondary credential well as help displaced Texas workers who need to reskill and upskill and complete a higher education credential so they can rejoin the workforce and get back on their feet,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “Our Texas institutions are making significant commitments to create programs that keep more students on track to enter the workforce with the high-value credentials and education that tomorrow’s economy will demand.”
To further its commitment to workforce education, the Coordinating Board welcomed Tina Marie Jackson as its new assistant commissioner of workforce education. Dr. Jackson will work on all aspects of career and technical workforce initiatives and programs, including administration of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Dr. Jackson’s previous roles include district director of developmental education at Collin College, statewide coordinator of community college programs at The University of Texas at Austin, and associate dean of science, technology, engineering, & math (STEM) at Dallas College.
Dr. Jackson will oversee the THECB reskilling initiative as the agency launches its second-round request for applications (RFA) for the grant program. Applications open today and are due by Jan. 15, 2021. Texas public community colleges and universities are encouraged to apply, and institutions that received funding through the first round of grant funding are eligible to apply for round two funding.
2020 Reskilling Grant Round One Awardees
| Institution | Consortium Partners | Grant Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alamo Colleges | $300,000 | |
| Austin Community College | $300,000 | |
| College of the Mainland | $300,000 | |
| Collin College(Consortium) | North Central Texas College, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Woman's University, University of North Texas, University of Texas Dallas$1,287,500Dallas College | $1,287,500 |
| Dallas College | $1,500,000 | |
| El Paso Community College | $1,500,000 | |
| Galveston College | $750,000 | |
| Grayson College | $300,000 | |
| Hill College | $112,500 | |
| Houston Community College | $750,000 | |
| Kilgore College | $750,000 | |
| Lamar State College Orange | $112,500 | |
| Lamar State College Port Arthur | $300,000 | |
| Lamar University | $300,000 | |
| Lone Star College System | $750,000 | |
| McLennan College | $112,500 | |
| Midwestern State University | $112,500 | |
| Odessa College | $1,500,000 | |
| Panola College | $112,500 | |
| Prairie View A&M | $300,000 | |
| Ranger College | $300,000 | |
| San Jacinto Community College District (Consortium) | Alvin Community College and Lamar Institute of Technology | $761,842 |
| South Texas College* | $112,500 | |
| Stephen F. Austin University | $112,500 | |
| Tarleton State University | $750,000 | |
| Tarrant County Community College District | $112,500 | |
| Temple College (Consortium) | Central Texas College and Texas A&M | $1,024,605 |
| Texas A&M International | $112,500 | |
| Texas A&M Kingsville | $112,500 | |
| Texas A&M Texarkana | $300,000 | |
| Texas Southmost College | $112,500 | |
| Texas State Technical College System | $300,000 | |
| Texas Tech University | $750,000 | |
| Trinity Valley Community College | $300,000 | |
| University of Houston Clear Lake | $112,500 | |
| University of Houston Downtown | $750,000 | |
| University of Texas Arlington | $112,500 | |
| University of Texas El Paso | $300,000 | |
| University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $112,500 | |
| University of Texas Tyler | $112,500 | |
| Total | $18,111,447 |
THECB Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is to provide leadership and coordination for Texas higher education and to promote access, affordability, quality, success, and cost efficiency through 60x30TX, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader.
1200 East Anderson Lane | PO Box 12788, Austin, Texas 78711-2788 | www.highered.texas.gov