NCTC pioneers rural college promise program
North Central Texas College was named as a recipient of a Greater Texas Foundation grant to pioneer a Rural College Promise program to produce stronger and more equitable college and workforce outcomes for rural North Texas students.
The Rural College Promise program aims to increase access to affordable college pathways and opportunities for living wage jobs in rural counties across North Texas, including Cooke County, Montague County, and Graham ISD. Funded by a grant from Greater Texas Foundation, with additional support from the Rural Community College Alliance, the National College Promise Campaign and Phi Theta Kappa, the program will build on the success of the Texas Talent Regions, that includes the Dallas County Promise, Alamo Promise, Tarrant To and Through (T3), and the TJC Promise, tailored to the needs of rural communities.
In addition to supporting local students and communities, NCTC will work in partnership with two other community colleges, Tyler Junior College and Grayson College, to develop a repeatable, affordable and scalable model for rural communities across Texas and, potentially, across America.
“The ability for a community to inspire and develop talent is the cornerstone of a healthy regional economy,” said NCTC Chancellor Dr. Brent Wallace. “Community colleges play a central role in developing Texas Talent and we are energized to be learning with other regional initiatives as part of this grant as well as along with many other Texas Talent Regions.”
“Texas needs more intentional regional talent strategies to remain competitive in a fast-changing world,” said Sue McMillin, President and CEO, Greater Texas Foundation. “Yet, too many young people in rural communities lack the opportunity and tools to get ahead, educationally, and economically. This grant is an investment to accelerate proven strategies and bring game changing technologies to rural communities.”
About North Central Texas College: Officially established May 20, 1924 and originally named Gainesville Junior College, North Central Texas College is the oldest continuously operating two-year college in Texas and a true pioneer of public community college in the state. With six campuses located throughout North Texas, NCTC offers its 10,000+ students a variety of degree types in diverse areas of instruction. www.nctc.edu
About Greater Texas Foundation: Greater Texas Foundation supports initiatives that increase rates of postsecondary enrollment and completion for all Texas students, with a particular focus on students who may encounter barriers to postsecondary success. GTF is a private foundation headquartered in Bryan, Texas. Since inception, GTF has approved more than $104 million in grants to support Texas students. www.greatertexasfoundation.org
About Rural Community College Alliance: The Rural Community College Alliance (RCCA) helps its member institutions serve the 89.3 million people who reside in rural America. We seek to promote a more economically, culturally, and civically vibrant rural America through advocacy, convening, leveraging resources, and serving as a clearinghouse for innovative practice, policy, and research. www.rurualccalliance.org
About Economic Mobility Systems: Makes socioeconomic mobility possible by helping regional ecosystems work together with proven school to work strategies and cutting-edge equity platforms that place the student at the center of the regional talent equation. EMS helps regional partners organize and use real time data across the school to work continuum to create a best-in-class continuous improvement model for regional talent. www.economicmobilitysystems.org
About National College Promise Campaign: The National College Promise Campaign is a national, non-partisan, non-profit initiative that builds broad public support for funding the first two or more years of postsecondary education for hard-working students, and ensuring those students have access to quality educational opportunities and supports. www.collegepromise.org
About Phi Theta Kappa: For more than 100 years, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society has helped millions of high-achieving college students reach their full potential. The Society doesn’t just recognize academic success; it gives students opportunities to develop professional and leadership skills, earn scholarships, explore career paths — and make their worlds a lot bigger. www.ptk.org