Lamar State College Orange receives $530k TRUE grant

Lamar State College Orange received official word the week of July 25 that the Texas Higher Educating Coordinating Board (THECB) has awarded the college a $530,000 Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Grant. The funds will benefit LSCO’s Electro Mechanical, Process Operating, Instrumentation and Maritime Programs.

The grant will enable LSCO to purchase full-size pumps, valves, motors and controls that simulate a local plant environment, along with retrofitting a Workforce Building to accommodate these simulations.

“We are thrilled to be one of the recipients of this prestigious grant award. These funds will support the completion of our Workforce Education building that is currently under construction, enabling us to add state-of-the-art technology that will benefit many of our technical programs and allow our students to be ready-to-work as quickly as possible,” said LSCO President Dr. Tom Johnson.

The TRUE Grants, distributed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, are funded through the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program.

“TRUE Grants are an important tool to support our Texas institutions in achieving the goals of our state strategic plan for higher education, ‘Building a Talent Strong Texas,’” said Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Harrison Keller. “These grants are specifically designed to help more Texans earn credentials aligned with current and emerging workforce needs and expand opportunities for long-term success.”

LSCO was one of 29 colleges in the state to receive a portion of the $15 million available in TRUE Grant award funding.