AUSTIN The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded $26 million in grant funding to 46 public junior colleges, public state colleges, and public technical colleges across Texas to support students impacted by COVID-19.
Institutions may use the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Institutional Capacity Grants to rapidly create, expand, or redesign short-term postsecondary workforce credentials and training programs in high demand occupational areas.
Odessa College was awarded $500,000, a news release said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated how quickly specific jobs and necessary skills can change. We need to get our Texas students and displaced workers onto a fast track to lasting careers that equip them for greater economic mobility,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “We applaud our two-year institutions for committing to this challenge and are grateful to the governor and our legislative leadership for continued investments in higher education.”
This opportunity is supported by an allocation Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas’ legislative leadership committed to the THECB from the federal Governor’s Emergency Educational Relief (GEER) Fund. More than 80% of qualified two-year institutions in Texas applied for and received funding. The THECB increased the funding available for TRUE grants by $1 million to support these institutions’ efforts, the release said.
Sen. Brandon Creighton, who authored Senate Bill 1102 that established the TRUE initiative, said, “This funding will have an impact on Texans and the economy within months, not years. We’re creating a pipeline from the classroom to the workforce that will ensure a competitive edge for students and industry alike.”
