Laredo College proposes to create a fully equipped and staffed Veteran’s Center of Excellence at the Ft. McIntosh (Main) Campus.  This center will be housed in the Old Guard House Building next to the Berkley Chapel.  This project will require funds to fully renovate the building plus funds to equip and staff the center.  The Laredo Veteran’s Center of Excellence will be a high level one-stop facility that will offer veterans attending Laredo College a comprehensive variety of support and career services including:

1)  Academic and Mental Health Counseling

2)  State of the Art Computer Lab

3)  Career Counseling for Job Placement

4)  Assessment and Testing Services

5)  Tutoring Services

6)  Financial Aid for Academic and Technical Programs

The center will use a quality delivery system for veterans to receive all the tools necessary for career development and success.  Four assets of the Laredo Veteran’s Center of Excellence will be:

(a) On site staff to assist with the coordination of access to Academic/Technical educational courses through the use of technology (distance learning, on-line tutoring and mentoring through Skype)

(b) Training to result in effective Veteran Peer to Peer Mentoring

(c)  Professional development of project staff, faculty and administration in regards to Veterans that will result in the best approach to dealing with Veteran’s issues, including academic guidance.

(d) Direct connections to Veteran’s Workforce programs that hire qualified Veteran workers and provide specialized training at the college for high demand occupations available in the current labor market.  These service delivery systems will be coordinated with the Texas Workforce Commission and Workforce Solutions of South Texas.

The Student Support Services Program at Laredo College (LC) offers a variety of support services and resources to help students navigate through college.  At LC, 97% of students are Hispanic.  An average of 58% of all incoming freshmen are enrolled in developmental education due to their low placement test-scores.  The Laredo College – Student Support Services Grant (LC SSS) proposes to increase the academic success of students who are low-income and first-generation.  To enhance postsecondary success, LC-SSS will implement a strategic retention plan to: engage students in developmental education, assist students with course selection and help students graduate within four years of entering the program.  LC-SSS proposes to serve 300 SSS-eligible students per year following an effective plan of operation.  Students identified and selected for participation in the project will receive comprehensive services that will enhance good academic standing, persistence, graduation and transfer services to a 4-year institution. To be eligible to participate in the program, students must be low-income, first generation college and/or with disabilities.  In order to minimize student loans, LC-SSS will offer Grant Aid Scholarships. Grant Aid awards will be coordinated with the LC Financial Aid Office to ensure accurate distribution of funds.  LC-SSS is committed to promoting academic support, faculty involvement, and quality services to the college community.  LC-SSS proposes to manage a cost-effective and reasonable budget aimed at supporting the full range of services to track and assess tutorial interventions, semester grade checks, supplemental instruction, financial aid counseling, academic advising, and other individualized counseling services. 

Due to decreasing general funding, the Laredo College Police Department (LCPD) has not been able to procure the proper level of tactical equipment to be able to safely handle an active shooter or cartel spillover violence incident.  Both campuses have numerous buildings and open areas that require the latest technology in tactical gear and equipment to protect officers and to assist other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies in the event a violent situation.  The 2025 Operation Lonestar Grant centers on the joint procurement of state-of-the-art rifle-resistant body armor and other tactical equipment designed to provide an additional layer of defense and increase the survivability of our officers in the line of duty, both in municipal and campus settings, with a specific focus on the unique challenges faced by the campus situated directly on the border with Mexico.  There is a high level of drug and human trafficking near our campuses and keeping our constituents safe is our #1 priority.

Through the Texas Workforce Commission – JET (Jobs and Education for Texans) Grant, Laredo College will purchase one (1) Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) simulator. This state-of-the-art simulator will significantly enhance our capacity to provide high-quality, hands-on training, preparing students for successful careers in the trucking industry, a high-demand sector critical to the state’s economy.  By acquiring state-of-the-art truck driving simulators, our truck driving program will provide a more diverse training curriculum that will increase learning capacity for the driving and safety skills needed for this occupation. Due to the high demand of the profession along the U.S. / Mexico border, there is a constant level of vacancies for trained and licensed drivers.

The Laredo College Professional Truck Driver Program has an overarching goal to allow students to develop and learn the necessary skills to successfully earn a State of Texas Class A Commercial License. This profession aligns with SOC Code #53-302 – Heavy Truck Driver. This includes preparation for the mastery of the CDL written examination, general truck driving skills with a hands-on component and preparation to earn endorsements including: HazMat, Tankers, Doubles & Triples. All instruction is coordinated with the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Public Safety.

A spirit of partnership and compassion was on full display as Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas awarded a $20,000 donation to Laredo College to help address the growing needs of students.

The contribution was part of a targeted initiative to support institutions and organizations affected by recent federal funding cuts. At Laredo College, the funds were directed to the Palomino Pantry, a critical campus resource that helps students access food and everyday essentials.

Thanks to this investment, the pantry can continue to serve as a lifeline for students working to balance academic goals with financial challenges—ensuring that fewer students have to choose between their education and their basic needs.

Laredo College is proud to announce a $10,000 grant award from James Avery in support of its Laredo College Art Student Support: Empowering Student Artists initiative. This generous investment will help remove financial barriers for students enrolled in the Visual Arts Program by providing free and subsidized art supplies, ensuring that creativity is not limited by economic circumstances.

Through this funding, students will receive essential materials such as paints, canvases, and sketchbooks, along with support for more advanced and independent artistic projects. The grant will also help bring to life a vibrant, professionally curated Student Art Exhibit on campus, where students can showcase their work to the broader community, gain recognition, and build confidence in their creative voice.

By supporting access, visibility, and artistic growth, James Avery is helping Laredo College foster a more inclusive and dynamic arts environment—one that empowers emerging artists while enriching the cultural fabric of the Laredo community.

The 2023-2028 U.S. Department of Education - Title V - DHSI (Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions) Grant was awarded to Laredo College in the amount of $3,000,000 over a five-year grant period.  Project LEAD (Learning Engaging and Academic Support through Data Driven Action) will provide Hispanic, low-income and underserved students at Laredo College the academic and career pathways that foster retention, persistence and completion to graduation through student-centered high impact practices guided by gathered and analyzed data.

The 2023 Texas Workforce Commission JET (Jobs and Education for Texans) grant was awarded in the amount of $336,300 to purchase state of the art simulation equipment for the Laredo College Truck Driving Program.  Three (3) simulators were procured in order to provide the most technologically advanced and safest training in the industry.  This equipment increases knowledge and provides valuable experience to Laredo College students. It provides real world training scenarios that are not available live.

The 2023 Moody Foundation grant in the amount of $250,000 will bolster the Laredo College Campus Facilities Improvement Program. This grant funding was generously awarded to assist Laredo College with high costs related to the $1.75 million renovation of Arechiga Hall which was orginally constructed in 1880. This building was initially used as an officer's barracks by the U.S. Army and has been named a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark due to its historical and national significance. This buidling has been used for faculty offices and academic programs over the past 76 years by Laredo College. The National Register of Historic Places added Ft. McIntosh to its registered historic districts in 1975.