Signing on the dotted line … nine individuals participate today during signing ceremony for DMC’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program
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May
2025
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21:54 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
Nearly 2,140 residents have applied and 1,145 currently accepted since program’s March announcement with application deadline still ahead (Aug. 1); new three-year contract commitment to expedite qualifying students’ associate degree completion
Article by Melinda Eddleman
DMC President and CEO Mark Escamilla and Valdar the Viking_Addressing Ceremony Participants_Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Signing Ceremony_052125
Del Mar College’s (DMC) new Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program is a “game changer” for in-district residents who qualify and are accepted to begin courses this fall. And much like athletes who sign contracts to play at the collegiate or professional level, applicants selected for the program don’t have to worry about paying for their courses, but they do have to “sign on the dotted line” and commit to completing their associate’s degrees within three years as full-time students.
Today, May 21, nine new Vikings participated during a “signing ceremony” symbolizing their new journey in higher education this fall semester and a path to completing their associate’s degrees over the next three years as part of the first cohort to participate in the college’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program.
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These students are pioneers. They saw the value of the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver and chose to take that first step toward their goals. It’s a great opportunity that will change their lives.
Dr. Mark Escamilla, Del Mar College President and Chief Executive Officer
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Valdar the Viking_Juliana Henson_DMC President and CEO Mark Escamilla_Freedom to Dream Tuition Wiaver Signing Ceremony_052125
Juliana Henson (center), a Del Mar College Dual Enrollment student attending the School of Science & technology, signs her three-year contract for the college’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver as mascot Valdar the Viking (left) and DMC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mark Escamilla look on during a May 21 ceremony held on the Heritage Campus in the William F. White, Jr. Library. Henson was one of nine new Vikings who signed contracts during the ceremony. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
Valdar the Viking_Juliana Henson with Viking Pennant_DMC President and CEO Mark Escamilla_Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Contract Signing Ceremony_052125
After signing her three-year contract as part of Del Mar College’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program during a May 21 ceremony, Juliana Henson, a DMC Dual Enrollment student who attends the School of Science & Technology, poses with her DMC Vikings pennant with Valdar the Viking (left) and Dr. Mark Escamilla, DMC President and Chief Executive Officer. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
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When the Board of Regents approved the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver pilot program in March, our hope was that it would open doors for new populations of students. Our hope was well-placed because the response to the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver has been enormous.
Carol A. Scott, Del Mar College Board of Regents Chair
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Board of Regents Chair Carol Scott and Valdar the Viking_Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Signing Ceremony_052125
She added, “The program truly increases access to higher education for more Coastal Bend residents – like these students. By removing financial barriers, the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver creates a more level playing field for higher education.”
The Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program covers tuition and some fees using “first-in funding,” which comes from two sources: 1) DMC Foundation funds previously donated for the Viking Promise Program and approved for use to support the pilot program by its Board of Trustees and 2) the revenue generated from the state’s outcomes-based funding model for community colleges established by House Bill 8 in 2023.
The first-in funding model allows students to draw from their financial aid or scholarships as resources to pay for living expenses and other collegiate-related costs––such as books, gear or program-specific uniforms––so they can attend DMC full-time.
“The Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program is making my dreams possible now that I don’t have to worry about paying for classes,” says Marysabel Lopez, who will graduate from high school among West Oso ISD’s Class of 2025 on May 30. “Instead, I can perform my heart out as a Music Education major because my dream is to teach the experience of being a part of music to younger generations.”
Lopez signed her contract May 21, too.
Qualifications for the first cohort include:
All Qualifying Applicants:
• Live in the Del Mar College District (taxing district), which includes the Calallen, Corpus Christi, Flour Bluff, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso Indepe3ndent School Districts.
• Enroll full-time (12 Semester Credit Hours or more).
• Maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA).
• Enroll in a for-credit program or certificate.
• Commit to a formal agreement or “contract” to complete their studies withing a three-year period.
High School Students:
• Graduating among the Class of 2025 or equivalent.
• Dual Credit students are eligible regardless of the number of Semester Credit Hours they have earned.
Adult Learner:
• First-time-in-college student with12 Semester Credit Hours or lLess.
Valdar the Viking_Joseph Collin_President and CEO Mark Escamilla_Freedom to Dream Contract Signing Ceremony_052125
As an adult learner, 39-year-old Joseph Collin, who previously completed his high school equivalency or General Educational Development (GED) certificate at Del Mar College and earned three Semester Credit Hours toward Liberal Arts studies, plans to earn an Associate in Applied Science in Surgical Technology degree.
Currently a reception group leader and phlebotomist at CSI Plasma, Collin says, “My dream is to become a Surgical First Assistant with specialties in Neurology, but more specifically, I want to focus on the brain and what causes Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.”
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I also want to show my son that it’s never too late to start over and become what you dream.
Joseph Collin, Freedom to Dream Participant and New DMC Viking
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Del Mar College’s Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Pilot Program can propel Collin and others to do just that…“own their dreams.”
Valdar_Nine Freedom to Dream Ceremony Participants_Regents Chair Carol Scott_DMC President and CEO Mark Escamilla
After Del Mar College Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver contracts were signed by the nine May 21 ceremony participants, the honorees posed for a group picture to celebrate their new journey as DMC Vikings. Pictured from left are DMC mascot Valdar the Viking, Marysabel Lopez, Corazon Alvarez, Alexus Magallan, Sabrina Murillo, Juliana Henson, Vincent Treviño, Levi Garibay, Jonathan Anguiano, Joseph Collin, DMC Board of Regents Chair Carol A. Scott and Dr. Mark Escamilla, DMC President and Chief Executive Officer. (Credit: DMC College Relations)
About Del Mar College
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
Latest DMC News
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- “Innovating the Future of Educational Attainment in the Coastal Bend” … Del Mar College holds second annual Superintendent Symposium to provide update, cover progress impacting Dual Enrollment ProgramArticle by Melinda Eddleman The program keeps growing. Data shows that credit student participation in Del Mar College’s Dual Enrollment Program has grown nearly 40 percent from fall 2020 to this semester, increasing from 2,628 to 3,671 Coastal Bend high school students who are well on their way to a brighter future through access to higher education. In fact, regional Dual Enrollment students make up over 31 percent of the college’s fall 2025 credit enrollment, which totals 11,700 students overall (preliminary enrollment*). Additionally, another 1,390 high school students are taking Continuing Education courses leading to Marketable Skills Awards or licensure in certain offerings. * The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will certify figures this month for final fall 2025 enrollment figure, which is subject to change from today’s reporting. Currently, 51 independent school districts (ISDs), parochial schools and charter schools combined, along with home schooled students, participate with the Dual Enrollment Program. Last year, the number was 43. On Nov. 18, DMC officials, superintendents from partnering Coastal Bend ISDs and other guests met for the second annual Superintendent Symposium scheduled at the Oso Creek Campus to cover the progress the college’s Dual Enrollment Program has achieved over the past year and what the next steps will be. The symposium targeted the impact the Dual Enrollment Program provides in preparing students for either additional workforce training or transferability to the university level and how Del Mar will continue progressing forward through ISD partnerships to make higher education attainable for Coastal Bend high school students. Presenters, including students and faculty, highlighted the Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program and “next steps” as college officials prepare for another cohort in fall 2026. Additionally, Flour Bluff ISD Superintendent Chris Steinbruck provided an address focused on his district’s partnership with the college and other area entities to prepare students for regional high demand job opportunities. Listen to KEDT Radio’s Nov. 19 broadcast of interviews with Dr. Escamilla and Steinbruck conducted during the symposium: The Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program focuses on transitioning not only graduating seniors who participated in the college’s Dual Enrollment Program but also graduating seniors who may not have taken DMC credit courses while in high school. Data shows that 232 students who were Dual Enrollment seniors this past year enrolled in the program while 662 spring 2025 high school graduates without college credits enrolled. Together they make up nearly 50 percent of this fall’s Freedom to Dream cohort. DMC’s Dual Enrollment Program offers students in the ninth through twelfth grades attending high schools that partner with the college the opportunity to take courses whether they’re through Continuing Education programs to earn industry credentials or Marketable Skills Awards in healthcare, construction, welding or process technology or through the college’s academic programs for workforce preparation with Level I and II Certificates or associate’s degrees or for core course completion for university transfer. In fall 2023, the college rolled out the Dual Credit Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) Program with funding administered through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A part of House Bill 8 (HB 8), the Dual Credit FAST Program provides greater accessibility to higher education at no cost for students defined as educationally disadvantaged, specifically those who qualified for free or reduced-priced lunch during any of the four school years prior to enrolling in an eligible dual credit course. Del Mar College chose to expand “no cost” tuition and fees to all high school students, including those considered non-qualifying FAST dual credit students who are taking eligible credit and Continuing Education courses and attending one of the partnering ISDs, parochial schools or charter schools in the region. Dual Enrollment allows high school students to start earning college and industry-specific credentials in one of nearly 110 DMC certificate and degree programs among eight career pathways, including: – Architecture, Aviation and Automotive – Business Administration and Entrepreneurship – Communication, Fine Arts and Social Sciences – Health Sciences – Industrial Technology – Kinesiology and Education – Public Service – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Dr. Rivera said that it’s never too early to introduce youth to the concept of attending college and notes that DMC began familiarizing middle school-age students, specifically eighth graders, and their parents with the college’s Dual Enrollment Program to encourage participation when they reach high school. “We’re student-centric and a leading force in building the Coastal Bend’s workforce for today and in the future,” he noted. “With new initiatives in place and more to come, we’re ensuring students have choices to earn the credentials they need for successful academic and career pursuits that impact their own lives and everyone living in the Coastal Bend region.” The Superintendent Symposium concluded with a video produced onsite featuring a few of the area’s superintendents providing quick remarks about what is the most exciting achievement occurring in their district now, along with a special message from retired West Oso ISD Superintendent and current DMC’s Superintendent in Residence Conrado Garcia, who emceed the event:
- Del Mar College hosts annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11 to honor all who serve in U.S. Armed ForcesArticle by Richard Guerrero, Jr. On Veterans Day, we recognize and honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform. This day serves as an opportunity to reflect on their dedication, express gratitude for their contributions and reaffirm our collective commitment to supporting those who have defended our freedoms. To honor all who have served, Del Mar College Veterans Services presented its annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11. The ceremony was held in the courtyard at the Peace `Pole between the Harvin Student Center and the Memorial Classroom Building. DMC Regent and U.S. Navy veteran Dr. Nicholas Adame was the guest of honor, according to Dr. Jennifer Armentrout, Sergeant Major, USMC (ret) and DMC Veterans Services Director. Currently, 812 total veteran students and family members are enrolled in fall 2025 courses at DMC with 510 receiving Veterans Affairs benefits and 302 Hazelwood Act tuition exemptions. Gov. Greg Abbott announced in early September that Del Mar College is one of 33 two- and four-year public higher education institutions to receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze award based on criteria set forth by the Texas Veterans Commission and outlined in the Governor’s release. Del Mar College's Veterans Services received a Gold Award. Read about the college's announcement: https://vikingnews.delmar.edu/dmc-veterans-services-receives-tvc-gold-veterans-education-excellence-recognition-award-us-rep-michael-clouds-office-presents-congressional-acknowledgement-during-board-of-regents-regular-october-meeting/ The Veterans Education Excellence Recognition Award was established by the Texas Legislature and is given after thorough review of college and university applicants that demonstrate educational excellence and support services that “significantly contribute to the academic success of student veterans and military-connected students.”
