Hill College Awarded $3 Million Federal Grant to Build Rural Futures in North Central Texas

  Ashlee Ferguson
  Friday, October 9, 2026 2:38 PM
  General Events

Hillsboro, TX

Hill College has been awarded a $3,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program to launch Core to Career: Building Rural Futures. The five-year initiative will help students across Hill, Johnson, Bosque, Somervell, and surrounding counties move from the high school classroom to a college credential and into a career close to home. The College was selected through a national competition under Title III of the Higher Education Act, and the award requires no local match. Funding begins October 1, 2026. 

“On behalf of our Board of Regents, faculty, and staff, I am deeply grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for placing its confidence in Hill College,” said Dr. Thomas Mills, President of Hill College. “For more than a century, this college has existed so that the families of North Central Texas would not have to leave home to find opportunity. Core to Career lets us honor that promise for a new generation, in partnership with the school districts and employers who share our commitment to these students. This award is not a reward for what we have done; it is a responsibility for what we must now do together, and we are ready for the work ahead.” 

Core to Career will expand partnerships with area school districts so students can earn up to 45 hours of college credit before high school graduation, with courses delivered into rural high schools through new interactive Teaching Studios. A dedicated Success Coach will guide students through the transition from high school into their first year of college. The College will also launch four short-term, Workforce Pell-eligible credential programs — in Industrial Maintenance, Pharmacy Technology, Medical Assisting, and Skilled Trades — renovate and re-equip its career and technical education labs, and expand internships, apprenticeships, and clinical placements with regional employers. 

“This plan really came from listening to our students, our school district partners, and the employers in the communities we serve,” said Dr. Shelley Pearson, Hill College’s Vice President of Student Learning and Success. “This grant gives us the opportunity to turn what we heard into action: bring more college opportunities directly to students in our rural schools, build workforce programs that connect to good jobs right here in our region, and make sure students have the support they need to finish what they start. At the end of the day, the real measure of this investment will be the opportunities it creates and the lives it changes.” 

By 2031, Hill College has committed to increasing overall enrollment, dual-credit participation, workforce program enrollment, and the attainment of industry-recognized credentials, with progress reported annually by an independent evaluator. Implementation begins this fall. Students and families interested in dual credit or workforce programs can learn more at hillcollege.edu.