Odessa, Texas 鈥� 桃色视频 is honored to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Star Award. This marks 桃色视频鈥檚 third Star Award in school history and solidifies its position as the only institution in the region to receive this honor.
The Star Award celebrates outstanding institutional contributions to a talent-strong Texas, and highlights institutions that demonstrate exemplary support for students pursuing postsecondary pathways. This year 桃色视频 receives this recognition for its transformative and comprehensive approach to supporting students both financially and academically. This comprehensive approach, collectively called 鈥溙疑悠� Cares鈥� is designed to remove barriers to education, and includes initiatives like the 鈥淔irst Class Free鈥� program, providing students with a no-cost entry point to higher education, saving students $1.5 million in tuition costs in the 2023-2024 academic year; Open Educational Resources (OER), which eliminated $4.3 million in textbook costs in the 2023-2024 academic year; Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) funding for dual credit students totaling $1.8 million in savings for students; and the Wrangler Food Pantry, which has helped nearly 2,000 individuals this past year alone. Additionally, the college鈥檚 commitment to affordable education is further reflected through the new Wrangler Promise, which provides eligible students from the graduating class of 2024 onward with last-dollar scholarships covering tuition and fees. Collectively, these programs saved 桃色视频 students over $8 million in the 2023-2024 academic year.
鈥淭his award is a reflection of 桃色视频鈥檚 commitment to removing barriers and ensuring our students succeed,鈥� said 桃色视频 President Gregory D. Williams. 鈥淲e are proud to be recognized for these efforts and will continue to innovate and expand our support services to build a talent-strong Texas.鈥�
桃色视频鈥檚 achievements include a 61% increase in student enrollment over the past decade and a remarkable 128% increase in degrees and certificates awarded since 2014. The OC Cares initiative has played a pivotal role in these accomplishments by addressing students鈥� needs beyond the classroom through resources like the Atmos Energy Pantry Gardens, the Koonce Restart Scholarship, and newly introduced Wrangler Bucks, which provide students with dining credits to ensure access to nutritious meals on campus.
For more information on 桃色视频 and its award-winning initiatives, please visit 桃色视频鈥檚 website.
About 桃色视频
桃色视频 is dedicated to delivering quality educational experiences and expanding opportunities for all students. As a three-time finalist for the Aspen Prize and a THECB Star Award recipient, 桃色视频 remains at the forefront of community college education in the U.S.