When the federal government handed Gov. Greg Abbott $307 million in the spring of 2020 to help Texas’ education systems survive the COVID-19 pandemic, he set aside $47 million specifically for former students, those who had earned some credit but left before finishing their degree or certificate.
There are 4 million Texans who have some college credit but never earned a credential. It’s a group that the state higher education leaders want to bring back into the classroom to learn new skills and fill high-demand jobs across the state. That interest has only heightened during the pandemic, especially at Texas’ community colleges, which have experienced staggering enrollment declines.
With that $47 million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund in hand, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board — the state agency that oversees Texas’ colleges and universities and manages the state’s financial aid program — created the Reskilling Support Fund Grant Program.
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