Kilgore College creates special path for nontraditional students

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By Latasha Goodwyn


Special Populations, a grant funded student support program at Kilgore College, helps as many as 2,500 students per year in their effort to achieve success. The program is geared toward nontraditional students.

“They are classified as Special Populations which means that they are a single parent, displaced homemaker, economically disadvantaged or ADHD student,” says Sandy Teel Learning Counselor at Kilgore College.

Students that qualify for this program are able to receive support in areas such as tutoring, childcare assistance, gas vouchers and textbooks.

“At the beginning of the semester we supply textbooks for the students and they return them at the end of the semester, this way we can add them to our library and other students will be able to borrow,” says Teel.

That the amount of help that a student receives depends on their personal circumstances however childcare is one of the main expenditures of the program.

“We pay full tuition for childcare. The only thing that we require parents to pay is the registration fee. We feel that it is important for parents to have something invested as well,” says Frank Mosley, director of instructional student support. “If they have something invested they will be more committed to the program,” he says.

Special Populations extends their boundaries beyond the walls of Kilgore College and out into the community. They have developed a referral system for their homeless students in order to connect them with services in the community.

“For people that are homeless we give them information about community resources and really try to encourage them that they can do it even when they have no support system at all,” Teel says.

Whether or not the student is homeless, a displaced homemaker or economically disadvantaged in order to qualify for the program they must pursue a Career Technical program. Kilgore College currently has thirty-three programs that qualify including accounting, cosmetology, nursing, surgical technology.

“We want them to enroll in a program that they can finish in one to two years. This isn’t something that they would be able to transfer to a four year school,” says Teel.

Kilgore has hosted this program for the past twenty years and boasts a ninety percent success rate. Both Teel and Mosely recall many success stories throughout the years.

“We’re talking about going from being economically disadvantaged to being a nurse. It’s pretty rewarding to watch that happen,” says Teel.



For more information contact:

Special Populations Coordinator
Mr. Frank MosleyEmail:
fmosley@kilgore.edu
Phone: 903.983.8683
OR
Sandy Teel
Learning Specialist
steel@kilgore.edu
Phone: 903.983.8205