DENTON Texas Woman’s University has partnered with Texas-based Harmony Public Schools ― a system encompassing 60 pre-K-12 schools, including 16 in the DFW area ― to offer its high school students tuition-free college and support services to help them become successful graduates.
Eligible students who pledge to participate in the program can attend Texas Woman’s the fall after they graduate from high school. The program includes access to the university’s Zero Tuition Guarantee, which covers the cost of tuition and fees not covered by federal and state financial aid or institutional scholarships.
The partnership is aimed at creating a stronger college-going culture among high school graduates, and offers a more affordable higher education pathway that won’t result in high debt, said Javier Flores, TWU’s vice president for enrollment management.
“Texas Woman’s is committed to providing an outstanding education to students from all backgrounds, particularly those for whom a college education is financially out of reach ― and this partnership helps achieve that,” Flores said in a news release.
“Harmony Public Schools is proud to partner with TWU, which shares our mission of empowering scholars through student-centered learning approaches and high-quality educational opportunities,” Harmony Public Schools CEO Fatih Ay said.
The partnership with Harmony is particularly relevant to Texas Woman’s because of the institutions’ shared mission of providing equitable outcomes for female scholars, which has long been a hallmark of a Texas Woman’s education.
As an example, Harmony has a stated goal of narrowing the gender gap between male and female students in career fields related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Among Harmony’s female graduates, 60% go on to pursue STEM-related college degrees, compared with only 24% nationally.
Leaders from both institutions signed an agreement April 22 to launch the partnership, which is the latest in a series of such agreements between Texas Woman’s and other school systems to provide greater access to college.
