TXST Reskilling Support Fund Grant

Funding Background

Texas State University has been awarded a $1.5 million reskilling grant to help up to 1,000 former students with some college credit return to school and complete their degrees.

Texas State received the pass-through grant from the United States Department of Education's Education Stabilization Fund Program via the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.

Reskilling grants to institutions will support displaced Texas workers who need to reskill or upskill to get back into the workforce and Texas students who have previously stopped out of higher education institutions without completing a postsecondary credential. 

Texas State's grant is part of the Texas Reskilling Support Fund Grant Program, a $46.5 million fund established to provide essential emergency educational support to students that have been most significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and aid in the continuation of their education and economic recovery. It will directly support Bring Bobcats Back, a program created in 2018 to encourage students to return to Texas State and finish their degrees.

To Qualify

Enrollment Management at Texas State, which manages Bring Bobcats Back, has developed a list of prospective candidates by reviewing academic records to identify formerly enrolled students who completed several years of study but stopped short of earning their degree. Those prospects will be contacted and provided information about the new opportunity.

The financial aid is not just limited to those who initially attended Texas State. Those who began, but did not complete, their coursework at other universities are also eligible if they meet the program's criteria.

To qualify for the reskilling program-

• Texas residents eligible for in-state tuition as determined by the institution;
• Have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Are eligible for federal Title IV aid. Students who are enrolled in short-term ineligible Title IV workforce credential programs but who are otherwise Title IV eligible may be included;
• Have affirmed they were affected by COVID-19. Institutions may establish their own processes for determining COVID-19 impact;
• Be enrolled in an eligible academic degree program or short-term workforce credential program as described in this RFA on either a full time or part time basis.