Award is part of $5.6 million in Nursing Innovation Grant Program funding Gov. Abbott announced for 2026-2028 grant cycle
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Tarrant County College District has received a $735,134 grant through the Texas Nursing Innovation Grant Program (NIGP), Gov. Greg Abbott announced Aug. 6. The award will support TCC’s efforts to expand its nursing education programs as part of a statewide push to grow Texas’ healthcare workforce.
TCC is one of eight Texas colleges and universities sharing more than $5.6 million in NIGP funding for the 2026-2028 grant period, which begins Sept. 1 and runs through Aug. 31, 2028. The program funds new and expanded projects, including innovative pre-licensure programs designed to increase the number of qualified nurses entering the workforce.
Abbott framed the investment as part of a broader statewide strategy.
“Texas builds the healthcare workforce of tomorrow with strategic investments in nursing education,” he said. “These grants fund innovative programs that prepare more nurses for service in communities across the state.”
For TCC, the award represents an investment that reaches far beyond the classroom. “This grant strengthens one of the most important pipelines we have in North Texas: the pipeline of skilled nurses who care for our families, our neighbors,” said TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc. “We are grateful to Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature for investing in innovation at the community college level, where so much of the state’s healthcare workforce begins.”
That investment will be felt most directly by the faculty and students working in TCC’s nursing labs and clinical sites.
“Our nursing faculty and clinical partners work every day to prepare students for the realities of patient care, and this funding lets us expand that work,” said TCC South/Trinity River President Sean Madison. “It means more capacity, more hands-on training and more graduates ready to impact North Texas hospitals and clinics.”
The funding will support Trailblazing to Practice, a structured initiative that builds a guided, stackable pathway from entry-level healthcare training to an RN-BSN completion track. The project is designed for students who apply to TCC’s Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program but do not initially meet admission criteria, giving them an alternative on-ramp into nursing education and, ultimately, employment.
The initiative will be advanced by TCC’s Division of Health Sciences under the leadership of Dean Jerry Findley, with implementation led by the Nursing leadership team, including Assistant Deans Chrystal Cruz, Shenee Furlough and Karen Heard.
Students admitted to the program will proceed through a sequenced cohort, beginning with Certified Nursing Aide (CNA) training, then moving to the Patient Care Technician (PCT) program, Vocational Nursing (VN) and finally the ADN Fast Track Pathway leading to RN licensure. Advancement at each stage is conditional on academic progression, allowing students to build credentials and workforce readiness step by step.
Grant funds will be used to:
- Renovate and expand CNA and PCT instructional lab spaces
- Fund a Nursing Faculty Navigator position to provide academic guidance, progression coaching and pathway navigation for cohort students
- Cover tuition assistance, textbooks and instructional materials
- Pay for certification exam fees, which RN-specific grants traditionally do not cover
- Purchase equipment and supplies, including EKG machines, manikins, mounted charting stations, blood pressure simulators and lab arms, medical supplies, scrubs and skills kits
The Nursing Innovation Grant Program was created in 2023, with additional funding approved in 2025, and is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Eligible projects must align with Texas Board of Nursing regulations or seek approval for new approaches not yet covered by existing rules.
For more information about the Nursing Innovation Grant Program, visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board website at highered.texas.gov.
For more information about TCC nursing, visit tccd.edu/nursing.
Tarrant County College serves nearly 100,000 students each year, offering accessible, affordable pathways to in-demand careers and university transfer. Across multiple campuses and TCC Connect — a fully online learning option — the College partners with more than 1,200 employers to help build the workforce that drives North Texas forward. Bold Steps. Better Futures.