$1.5 Million Grant From Greater Texas Foundation To Help Early College High School Students Complete Bachelor's

The University of North Texas at Dallas has been awarded an eight-year, $1.5 million grant from Greater Texas Foundation (GTF) to increase the number of Texas Early College High School (ECHS) graduates who successfully transition to a four-year university and complete a bachelor’s degree. The award is part of the GTF Scholars program.

The funding provides multi-year scholarships for Texas Early College High School graduates to enroll in and successfully complete a bachelor’s degree program at UNT Dallas. GTF UNT Dallas Scholars will have opportunities for career exploration, academic mentoring, experiential learning, success coaching, and financial literacy training. Additionally, the program will ensure family members are armed with the tools needed to encourage and support their scholars’ degree completion.

“This opportunity is not only important for the UNT Dallas GTF Scholars, but also for their families and the communities where participants will work and serve after completing the bachelor’s degree,” said Principal Investigator and UNT Dallas Special Assistant to the President - Partnerships and Initiatives, Dr. Lisa D. Hobson. “Best practices and current research about collegiate dual credit programs inform us that high school graduates with associate degrees require continued financial and instructional resources, and academic and social support. Disseminating research and providing resources for degree completion and a well-educated workforce are top priorities of Greater Texas Foundation.”

UNT Dallas has ECHS program pathways and currently partners with Dallas ISD’s Sunset P-Tech and Lincoln B-Tech Early College High Schools. UNT Dallas offers rigorous course instruction leading to bachelor’s degrees that prepare graduates for competitive jobs in business, accounting, criminal justice, supply chain and marketing management, education, child development, hospitality management, information technology, communication and digital media, biology, public health and more.

“We are extremely excited to partner with Greater Texas Foundation,” said UNT Dallas President Bob Mong. “Receiving a grant from such a prestigious foundation demonstrates their belief in our continued ability to remove barriers to higher education and create pathways to bachelor’s degrees that lead to socioeconomic growth in communities.” 

Through education and community connectedness, UNT Dallas provides pathways to socioeconomic mobility. Greater Texas Foundation partners with educational institutions, organizations, and state leaders to help more students earn a postsecondary credential that puts them on a path to success. The two organizations partnering to support Early College High School graduates will allow more students from underserved populations to earn a bachelor’s degree, develop successful careers in high demand fields, and experience economic mobility.

“This program is truly emblematic of our mission of college access and student success. We're proud to support UNT Dallas in creating a program that helps more ECHS graduates achieve their dreams of a college degree," said Sue McMillin, President and CEO of Greater Texas Foundation.

The new program is scheduled to begin in 2023. The first cohort will include 40 ECHS graduates from the state. For more information on how to enroll in the UNT Dallas GTF Scholars Program or the DISD Early College High School at UNT Dallas, please contact Dr. Hobson at Lisa.Hobson@untdallas.edu.