Texas Awards $3.7 Million in Perkins Leadership Grants to 13 Public Two-Year Colleges for Career and Technical Education
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on October 13 that the state has awarded $3.7 million in Perkins Leadership Grants to 13 Texas public two-year postsecondary institutions for the development of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. The 2026-2027 grant cycle funds three focus areas: emerging and current high-demand credentials, recruitment and retention of CTE educators, and prison education preparing students for reentry.
Recipients in the high-demand credentials category include Lamar Institute of Technology ($254,600), Southwest Texas College ($293,892), Tarrant County College District ($299,929), Texas Southmost College ($298,305) and Texas State Technical College ($278,739). Six institutions received educator recruitment and retention awards, among them Tyler Junior College and Western Texas College at $300,000 each and San Jacinto College District at $299,991. The prison education category went to Central Texas College ($300,000) and Lee College ($297,144).
"Texas' skilled workforce is critical to our state's economic success," Abbott said, adding that the grants let community and technical colleges develop or redesign programs for in-demand occupations and recruit and retain instructors. Texas Higher Education Commissioner Wynn Rosser said the grants support colleges in creating innovative CTE programs and recruiting the best CTE instructors, ensuring students get quality training for high-skill, high-wage careers. The Governor's Office said the Perkins Leadership Grants replace the Perkins Field Based Innovation Program and the Perkins Excellence in Access and Opportunity Program, which were phased out on August 31, 2026, refocusing the funding on the latest labor market needs. (Compiled from the Office of the Texas Governor's October 13 press release.)
Source: 德州州长办公室
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 获补助院校之一 Tarrant County College 的 Trinity River 校区实景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons 文件 Fort Worth June 2016 28 (Tarrant County College Trinity River Campus).jpg，Michael Barera 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0 授权
