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DENTON (UNT), Texas — The University of North Texas received an $1.87 million grant from the Moody Foundation to expand dual credit opportunities for rural Texas educators.

The funding will support BRIDGE-TX, an initiative within UNT’s Dual Credit Network that removes financial barriers for teachers seeking the graduate coursework required to teach dual credit classes. Participating educators will receive tuition support while completing fully online master’s degrees or graduate academic certificates designed to meet credential requirements.

“This grant reflects the kind of work at the heart of our M-Pact Fund,” said Elle Moody, Senior Vice President for the Moody Foundation. “By supporting teachers in rural Texas school districts, we’re helping expand access to dual credit and supporting student success in the communities that need it most.”

By increasing the number of qualified dual credit instructors in rural school districts, the program aims to expand opportunities for high school students to earn college credit before graduation, helping reduce college costs and strengthen college readiness.

“We have a lot of highly motivated teachers in our region and this will give them that next step toward dual credit,” said Dava Washburn, vice president for instruction at Grayson College. “This will help make sure that every high school student who wants to take dual credit will have that opportunity.”

The UNT Dual Credit Network, established by UNT President Harrison Keller, Ph.D., brings together universities, community colleges and K-12 school districts to expand dual credit opportunities across Texas. Through BRIDGE-TX, participating rural educators will complete flexible online graduate coursework while remaining in their classrooms and will join the network’s statewide professional learning community, where they can collaborate with higher education partners and other dual credit instructors across the state. Participants are also eligible to receive a stipend to support their professional development.

“The financial support from this program is a huge help,” said David Marsh (’04), an English teacher at Bells High School. “Now we’ll be able to offer dual credit in the morning and afternoons which will expand access to our students. It’s also just a full circle moment for me to work with UNT again.”

Justin Tollison says the program will allow him to follow his dream of expanding the subjects he can teach.

Through the grant, UNT expects to prepare 125 rural educators who will help expand dual credit offerings and create more pathways for students to transition successfully from high school to college.

"I want to expand and teach U.S. history, but financially I hadn’t been able to,” said Justin Tollison a history teacher at Bonham High School and adjunct faculty member at B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary. “This Moody Foundation grant and program will allow me the opportunity to do I want to do and pursue my dream.”

**About the Moody Foundation
**The Moody Foundation, established in 1942 by W.L. Moody Jr. and Libbie Shearn Moody, has funded projects and programs that benefit the people of Texas. With an emphasis on education, the arts, health, and community vitalization, the Foundation has committed more than $2 billion to organizations across the state, empowering Texans to thrive through opportunity, access, and innovation. The Moody Foundation is governed by a board of three Trustees, Frances Moody-Dahlberg, Ross Moody and Elizabeth “Elle” Moody.
About the University of North Texas (UNT)The University of North Texas is a Carnegie R1 public research university located just north of Dallas-Fort Worth — one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Through its campuses in Denton and Frisco, Texas, UNT serves more than 42,000 students with 230 degree programs and awarded nearly 12,000 degrees last year. UNT proudly serves in the vanguard of leading American universities willing to measure success by how well we educate and support every qualified student who commits to learning with us. We deliver outcomes that matter to students, families, employers, and the nation, as a public university committed to create enduring value for the public good.

UNT Health Fort Worth has implemented a strategic academic reorganization designed to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, improve operational efficiency and support long-term, mission-driven growth.

Effective June 1, UNT Health will transition from six colleges to four colleges, enhancing its ability to respond to enrollment trends and the evolving needs of health care education. No programs are being eliminated under the reorganization, which was approved earlier this year by the University of North Texas System Board of Regents.

“We are building a stronger, more connected academic environment that reflects how healthcare is delivered today,” said Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, UNT Health’s president. “By aligning our programs more intentionally, we are creating new opportunities for collaboration, strengthening the student experience, and ensuring we are preparing graduates to meet the real-world needs of patients and communities across Texas.”

As part of the changes:

• Public health degrees and the Physician Assistant Studies program have joined the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. As UNT Health’s original college, TCOM offers a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
• The Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Science in Lifestyle Health Sciences and the new Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition programs are now part of the UNT System College of Pharmacy.
• Reflecting this expansion, that college has been renamed the UNT System College of Pharmacy and Health Professions. Also in this college are master’s degrees in pharmacy-related fields and the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

UNT Health also is home to two other colleges:

• College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences – This college is committed to shaping the future of the biomedical workforce by offering bachelor’s through doctoral degrees, including a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, UNT Health’s first undergraduate program.
• College of Nursing – Established in 2023, the college offers a Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Registered Nurse to BSN, and two Master of Science in Nursing programs.

UNT Health’s four colleges also offer multiple graduate certificates and dual-degree programs for students.

“The previous six-college structure duplicated essential services, limiting flexibility and the ability to reinvest in academic priorities,” said Dr. Christopher Ray, UNT Health senior vice president and provost. “The new structure streamlines administrative functions, strengthens financial sustainability and supports expanded interdisciplinary education aligned with team-based health care delivery.”

All students will continue in their current programs with expanded opportunities for interdisciplinary learning.

The University of North Texas and Collin College introduced UNT OnePath through Collin College, a new co-enrollment partnership that will allow qualified students to earn two degrees — associate and bachelor’s degrees — in business and biology through a coordinated program based in Frisco.

Beginning in Fall 2026, students in OnePath will be co-enrolled at both institutions, following a structured degree plan that aligns coursework and student support services. The inaugural pathways include business degree programs offered online and at UNT at Frisco, as well as a biology bachelor’s degree with pre–healthcare advising at the Collin College Frisco Campus. Upper-level biology courses are offered in Denton or UNT at Frisco.

“Every qualified student who commits to learn with us deserves a clear path forward — and this partnership makes that possible from day one,” said UNT President Harrison Keller, Ph.D. “This is exactly what it looks like when institutions work together to create enduring value for the public good.”

An outdoor photo of Collin College. Students walk down the sidewalk towards the main building. Art sculptures stand in the grass.

Degrees will be available in biology with pre–healthcare advising and business. Photo credit: Collin College

Co-enrolled students will have access to academic support, career services and campus life resources across campuses while progressing toward a UNT bachelor’s degree.

“As this partnership grows, it will create more opportunities for students to move seamlessly through shared coursework as they work toward a UNT degree,” said Collin College District President Neil Matkin, Ph.D. “This partnership expands opportunity for students by combining the strengths of both institutions in a single, coordinated pathway.”

The co-enrollment model simplifies the transition from associate to bachelor’s degree, reducing transfer barriers and expanding access to in-demand programs that support workforce needs in Collin County and across the North Texas region.

For more information about OnePath, visit unt.edu/admissions/onepath.