New Partnership Aims to Increase Number of College Grads in Texas

AMARILLO, Texas, June 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 8,500 students will be eligible to receive two years of college courses at no charge in Amarillo, Texas over the next six years thanks to the creation of the new THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship. The scholarship is a "last money in" tuition assistance program that can be applied to up to 60 hours of tuition, books and fees at Amarillo College (AC). Students from all four Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) high schools may apply for the scholarship funding provided they meet the program's eligibility criteria.

"Amarillo is a business-friendly city," said Mayor Ginger Nelson. "Our investment in THRIVE fortifies our commitment to build a strong workforce for Amarillo businesses."

This month, a public-private partnership including the AISD, the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) and AC agreed to financially support the THRIVE Scholarship over the next six years. The AEDC, AC and AISD will each provide 20% of the program costs, while the remaining 40% of the scholarship's funding will be provided by the AAF.

"With THRIVE Amarillo, a group of committed partners has come together to provide tuition, books and funding to cover fees to students from all Amarillo ISD high schools," said Clay Stribling, President and CEO of Amarillo Area Foundation. "Opportunities like THRIVE only happen when community stakeholders are unified by a common goal."

The Align Amarillo Strategic Plan, a study conducted by Avalanche Consulting in 2017 for the AEDC and City of Amarillo, highlighted that only 27% of Amarillo residents in the workforce have advanced degrees (bachelor's or higher) compared to the national average of 36%. Further, Amarillo's labor force grew 0.8% from 2010-2015, well below the national average of 2.9% and the Texas average of 8.5%.

The THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship aims to increase high school graduation rates, provide a cost-free pathway for area students to pursue higher education and to expand the overall skills in the Amarillo area workforce necessary to support the area's economy. For more information about the THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship program go to www.thriveamarillo.org

Contact: Reagan Hales
Amarillo Economic Development Corporation
Phone: 806.379.6411

SOURCE Amarillo Economic Development Corporation