A&M-Texarkana unveils strategic educational collaboration with Texarkana Aluminum

Texas A&M University-Texarkana and TCI Texarkana, Inc., operating as Texarkana Aluminum, Inc., have established a fresh academic collaboration enabling employees of Texarkana Aluminum to enrol in university courses at a reduced rate. The partnership was formally inaugurated by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on January 22, 2024, in a ceremony held on the Texas A&M University-Texarkana campus.

“We are proud to add Texarkana Aluminum as a priority workforce partner. We will provide a pathway to degree attainment for their employees and collaborate directly with them to craft innovative curricula in Industrial and Metallurgical Engineering,” said A&M President Dr. Ross Alexander.

As per the terms of the recent collaboration, every full-time employee at Texarkana Aluminum is entitled to a 25 per cent reduction in tuition fees for all undergraduate, graduate, certificate, or micro-credential programs, whether delivered in-person, online, or through a hybrid format. Additionally, the agreement includes the waiver of the standard application fee. Alongside the tuition discount, newly enrolled eligible employees at the university will be granted the First Flight Scholarship, ensuring their first class is free if they enrol in a minimum of 6 hours at the undergraduate or graduate level.

“We are looking towards the collaboration with TAMUT to develop the core of graduates that Texarkana Aluminum needs to build an ecosystem in aluminum product manufacturing in the region. We are thankful for the spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm of Dr. Alexander and his team. We look forward to supporting the development of the program, rolling it out to our employees, and welcoming students for experiential learning,” added Ian Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Texarkana Aluminum.