Texas community colleges will use a $10.4 million federal grant to expand short-term technical training.
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded the grant to a consortium led by the Alamo Colleges District. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the award Friday. The four-year effort aims to serve 22,000 students, according to the governor’s office.
Meanwhile, five Texas community colleges gained approval to offer Workforce Pell student aid. The federal approval covers nine short-term programs in fields including health care, welding, machining and electric power.
“Texas students now have federal aid for short-term job training at five community colleges,” Abbott said in the release. “Those colleges earned approval for programs that lead to high-demand jobs in health care, energy, construction, and the skilled trades.”
Aid covers nine technical programs
The U.S. Department of Education approved the following colleges and programs for Workforce Pell aid:
- Kilgore College: Electric Power Technology (KCEPT); Phlebotomy Technician; Pharmacy Technician.
- Weatherford College: HVAC – Basic; Basic Machining; CNC Machining Advanced.
- Texas Southmost College: Structural Welding – SMAW.
- San Jacinto College: Phlebotomy Technician.
- Central Texas College: Pharmacy Technician.
The aid will also help employers find trained workers, Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said in the release.
“We congratulate the Texas colleges that earned approval for this important new pipeline of federal student aid,” Rosser said. “Students and Texas employers will benefit as these programs produce employees qualified in a short period of time for high-demand jobs in health care, energy, construction and other fields.”
Grant will expand training statewide
Beyond those approvals, the Labor Department grant will help colleges create and expand programs eligible for Workforce Pell.
Northwest Vista College will lead that effort. Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores outlined its goals in the release.
“This investment is about opening more doors for Texans,” Flores said. “Across the Alamo Colleges District, our moonshot is to end poverty through education and training.”
Texas has also supported technical training through state grants, as previously reported by The Dallas Express. Dallas College received more than $3.8 million in awards announced in July 2025. Those grants supported training in construction, manufacturing and aerospace-related fields.
Provided by Dallas Express
