Archived 2026-28 cycle. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) application window for the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Grant Program 2026-28, RFA #1643 closed on September 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT. Atlas is preserving this record for award tracking and successor-cycle planning because TRUE remains an important short-term career and technical education funding pathway, including qualifying healthcare workforce programs.
Funding: THECB’s April 30, 2026 program announcement identified $12.5 million for TRUE 2026-28. Under the controlling RFA, applicants may request up to $500,000 as a single eligible grantee or up to $800,000 as a consortium, and THECB expects approximately 20 awards, subject to available appropriations.
Eligible applicants: Texas public lower-division institutions of higher education, or consortia of two or more such institutions. A local chamber of commerce, trade association, or economic development corporation may participate as a workforce partner, but the public lower-division institution must remain the primary grant holder and fiscal agent.
Eligible project model: create a new, revise an existing, or expand a short-term CTE program that can be completed in six months or less and leads to an industry-aligned credential tied to a current high-demand or higher-earning occupation. Applicants must use labor-market evidence and workforce/employer consultation rather than assuming a field qualifies. THECB has specifically identified medical assistants and emergency medical technicians among occupations previously supported through TRUE, making healthcare and allied-health workforce programs a legitimate pathway when the proposed occupation satisfies the current high-demand criteria.
Allowable costs: curriculum development, instructional and training software, instructional and training equipment, qualifying instructional-facility renovation, student financial aid and supports, faculty hiring and training, training materials, project outreach, and project data/reporting costs. Equipment and facilities together may not exceed 50% of the total project budget; requests using 10% or less for those costs can receive bonus points. Equipment purchased with TRUE funds must be available to both Continuing Education and credit-bearing CTE programs and cannot be placed at a third-party administered or owned site such as an independent school district.
Application window closed: the 2026-28 application deadline was September 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT. THECB states that applications must be complete, submitted by an Authorized Agent, and submitted electronically through the agency’s Grants Management System (GMS). Mailed, emailed, hand-delivered and faxed applications are not accepted. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed, regardless of circumstances.
Submission control: THECB strongly encourages early submission because user error, connectivity issues or security settings can prevent successful GMS submission. Applicants should retain the official GMS timestamp and system confirmation as proof of receipt. The formal inquiry period closed September 4, 2026 at 5:00 PM CT, and the application window has now also closed. This record should be used for award tracking and successor-cycle planning rather than late submission.
Atlas Opportunity Score: 94/100. This is a high-value Texas education-to-workforce opportunity with clear short-term credentialing, employer alignment, equipment, software and student-support pathways. Healthcare is not automatically eligible; the proposed occupation must match the current statewide or regional high-demand criteria and the application must document the labor-market case.
N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: 62/100 — Model B. TRUE expressly permits justified instructional/training equipment and software. A defensible N9+ path is institution-owned instructional equipment used in a qualifying short-duration healthcare CTE program tied to an eligible high-demand occupation. Do not position N9+ as general patient-care procurement, do not assume a healthcare occupation qualifies without checking the current high-demand list, and do not place TRUE-funded equipment at a third-party site. The strongest budget structure keeps equipment tightly tied to instruction and considers the program’s bonus for equipment/facility spending at 10% or less.
Official source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board — TRUE Grant Program 2026-28. The controlling solicitation is RFA #1643.