NCTC, local schools ready for second year of Red River Promise
Administrators and counselors from 13 local high schools and representatives from five universities gathered at North Central Texas College last week for updates and training on the Red River Promise program.
The Red River Promise is entering its second year and offers high school students from Cooke and Montague counties, as well as Graham ISD, the opportunity to attend college with varied support services and tuition and fees covered.
Red River Promise Director Barbara Stanley kicked off the event by recapping the first year. She shared that 165 promise students enrolled at NCTC for Fall 2022, an increase of 72% from last year of students in this service area. She also shared that for seniors in this service area FAFSA completion was up by 19%, NCTC applications were up by 47%, AND NCTC scholarship applications were up by 462%.
Counselors were invited to discuss the college application process and identify what’s working and what might be a barrier for students trying to apply for college, apply for scholarships, fill out the FAFSA/TASFA, and other enrollment requirements.
“It was very beneficial to have everyone in the same room to collaborate on ways to improve the processes to post-secondary pathways and increase student and parent participation,” said Stanley.
Each of the universities present were able to give a presentation to the counselors about specific entrance requirements for students. Southeastern State University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Woman’s University, University of Texas Arlington, West Texas A&M, and Texas Tech were all in attendance.
Red River Promise students can attend a university for a 4-year degree, NCTC for a 2-year degree, or NCTC for a certificate program. The chairs for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at NCTC took time to speak about each of their programs available to RRP students, including health sciences, cosmetology, criminal justice, business, industrial technology, information technology, equine and agriculture, and teacher education.
This year, the Red River Promise Pledge will open to both Juniors and Seniors from September 1 to February 1. Graduating seniors from the 14 Red River Promise high schools are eligible to receive a last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition and fees after financial aid awards and other scholarships are applied.
“This is more than just a scholarship,” said Stanley, “Red River Promise includes success coaching and technologies to streamline the college enrollment process, plus transfer and workforce opportunities to help students begin an exciting career.”
For more information, visit www.redriverpromise.org or email promise@nctc.edu.
