Plainsmen Praises
On February 2, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott presented his 2026-2027 biennium budget to the 89th Texas state legislature. There are several notable requests in the governor’s budget and one recognition attributed to Frank Phillips College.
One of the areas of focus in Governor Abbott’s budget is aligning community colleges with regional workforce needs. In his budget, Governor Abbott recognizes that Texas has a world-class higher education system and that community colleges play an important segment of that system. Texas community colleges are vital to meet the increasing workforce needs of the state. Community colleges in Texas enroll over 700,000 students, which represents 43 percent of all higher education students in the state.
All the state’s community colleges are important and serve specific needs in their respective communities. However, Frank Phillips College was given special recognition in the governor’s budget, as the governor mentioned new programs implemented by the college due to increased funding through House Bill 8 passed in the 88th legislative session. Governor Abbott wrote “Many colleges have been positively impacted by the passage of House Bill 8. Frank Phillips College implemented a diesel mechanics program, a paramedic program, an EMT program, and a barber certification program.” Only three community colleges were mentioned by name in the governor’s budget with Frank Phillips College as one of the three.
The Dalhart and Perryton communities desired a diesel mechanics program for several years. Many farmers, industries and other entities were in great need of trained diesel mechanics. Funding from the state enabled the college to acquire facilities, equipment and faculty to offer the courses and certificate programs to meet this need.
Emergency health care professionals are another essential need in our state and especially in the Texas panhandle. Frank Phillips College has partnered with local community hospitals and other health care providers to train paramedics and emergency medical technicians to enhance emergency medical treatment in our local communities.
Another feature of House Bill 8 was the establishment of the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program which is a financial aid program that allows “educationally disadvantaged” students to enroll in dual credit classes at no cost to them. As a result of the FAST program, dual credit enrollment has significantly increased at Frank Phillips College and an increasing number of high school students are now graduating from college before they receive their high school diploma.
For Texans who want to go to college, institutions of higher education must ensure that college is affordable. Governor Abbott continues to ask that higher education institutions freeze tuition and general fees. Frank Phillips College has not increased fees since the Fall 2022 semester. Our families and students can be assured that Texas community colleges provide affordable, high-quality education that prepare students for high demand jobs and careers.
We thank Governor Abbott for acknowledging Frank Phillips College in his budget remarks, and you can know that the future of Texas remains positive due to the educational opportunities provided by community colleges and their dedicated faculty and staff.
