WT to Offer Half-Off Enrollment Discount to Region 16 Educators

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Educators at all school districts within the Region 16 Education Service Center area will be eligible for a 50-percent discount on tuition and mandatory fees at West Texas A&M University, University officials announced today.

The new WT Educators Excellence Initiative will allow any full-time teacher, administrator, librarian, nurse, counselor or paraprofessional at Region 16’s 60 school districts and three charter schools, as well as Region 16 ESC employees, to pursue a degree at WT for half the cost. The offer will be extended to about 8,700 people throughout the Panhandle.

WT offers 66 undergraduate degrees and 44 graduate degrees, including doctoral degrees in agriculture and education.

“WT has been and remains committed to serving locally first, and we know that our region’s schools continue to face a shortage of qualified teachers,” WT President Walter V. Wendler said. “We are committed to do our part to help ensure high-quality schools throughout the Panhandle.”

Students may enroll for the second summer 2025 session or fall 2025 courses in undergraduate courses and through the WT Graduate School. Students interested in pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership can apply to join the January 2026 cohort.

“Educators at both the elementary and secondary levels play an integral role in preparing students for entry into higher education. As such, they are higher education partners—a partnership WT greatly values,” said Dr. Gary Bigham, dean of WT’s Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences. “The WT Educators Excellence Initiative is a bold step in demonstrating the value placed on our Region 16 partners in education by offering them the same tuition pricing that is provided to our own employees. This will enable them to more affordably advance their knowledge, skills and professional credentials.”

This initiative represents “an extraordinary investment in the future of our region’s schools by removing financial barriers to advanced education,” said Dr. Angela Spaulding, vice president for research and compliance and dean of the WT Graduate School.

“When educators pursue graduate degrees, they bring fresh insights, leadership and innovation directly back to their districts,” Spaulding said. “Graduate education isn’t just about career advancement; it’s about elevating the quality of education for the entire Panhandle.”

Eligible employees from Region 16 schools who are already enrolled will be eligible for half-off tuition and mandatory fees beginning with the second summer 2025 session.

The initiative follows in the footsteps of WT’s Employee and Family Tuition and Fees Reduction program, which was offered first to full-time University employees beginning in May 2022.

Both the Region 16 and the WT half-off waivers are considered to be among the most generous offered by any state college or university in Texas or The Texas A&M University System.

Other conditions, including financial aid benefits, may apply to the total cost of tuition. 

“The collaboration between Region 16 ESC and West Texas A&M University signifies a profound commitment to nurturing our region’s most valuable asset: its people,” said Dr. Tanya Larkin, Region 16 executive director. “By providing accessible pathways for our regional educators to further their own education, we are strategically preparing a dynamic and highly capable Panhandle workforce for the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

Region 16 school districts span the Texas Panhandle and have an average daily attendance of almost 80,000 students, ranging from fewer than 30 to more than 29,000 students in individual districts. Total regional school staff numbers more than 11,400, including 6,056 full-time teachers, 1,652 full-time paraprofessionals, 432 full-time administrators, about 60 librarians, about 210 counselors and about 110 nurses. Region 16 employees 196 full-time staff members.

WT opened in 1910 as West Texas State Normal College, a school that trained teachers. Today, about 75 percent of all teachers and administrators throughout the Panhandle region have at least one degree or certificate from WT.

Serving the Texas Panhandle and being responsive to its needs are key maxims of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $165 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT, a Regional Research University, is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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