WT’s Half-Off Enrollment Offer for Region 16 Educators Already a Success

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

CANYON, Texas — In the week since West Texas A&M University announced a bold plan to offer half-off tuition and mandatory fees to regional educators, about 70 have already begun the enrollment process.

“We’ve never seen such an immediate response to an enrollment initiative, particularly among adult learners,” said Rick Haasl, vice provost for enrollment management. “That speaks to a need in the region. School districts across Region 16 are facing staffing shortages, and we believe the WT Educators Excellence Initiative will be a crucial help in solving that problem.”

The new WT Educators Excellence Initiative , announced June 5, 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.

Since the June 5 announcement, 66 students have either enrolled for the first time or, if they were already a current student, sought the discount for themselves.

Ashley Grubbs, a paraprofessional at Sunray Independent School District, was the first to contact WT to sign up for the initiative. Grubbs already was enrolled at WT to reach her goal of being a special education teacher, and said the half-off initiative will be a major help.

“It’s a huge blessing, a huge blessing,” said Grubbs, a single mother of three children. “I honestly wasn’t sure I would be able to get enough financial aid to cover the cost. This means a lot because it means I’ll be able to afford my education.”

Cynthia Muñoz, a paraprofessional at City View Elementary in Canyon Independent School District, said she heard about the announcement through WT’s Facebook page and it was the push she needed.

“Education has always been the route I wanted to take. I was a stay-at-hom mom and wanted to get my foot in the door, so I started as a paraprofessional,” Muñoz said. “Being a mom of three, this will really help lift the financial burden, so I had to take advantage of it, not only for my future but for my family’s future.”

Derek West, principal at CISD’s Randall Junior High School, had already begun pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership at WT, but he said the Educators Excellence Initiative will provide an invaluable assist in completing that degree.

“I’m using student loans to pay for my schooling, so being able to reduce that debt burden is huge,” West said.

He also sees major benefits for school districts both large and small across Region 16. Already, some of his RJH faculty and staff members have indicated that they’re interested in pursuing further education thanks to the initiative.

“This will be a huge help with staffing issues,” West said. “Even at big districts like Canyon and Amarillo, we’re struggling. And this will be an even bigger benefit for rural districts, who are really struggling to recruit and retain people.”

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.

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

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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