Austin, TX
Huston-Tillotson seeks to expand to California, open first undergraduate HBCU in West Coast
Huston-Tillotson University, a private historically Black college in Austin, is expanding to California in an effort to make HBCU education accessible to students on the West Coast and to further bolster the workforce in Texas.
The faith-based university plans to secure approval for a branch campus from the necessary California agencies by August 2025, President Melva Wallace told the American-Statesman, but it has received approval to start offering coursework remotely to California students, which it plans to start doing in January.
California has no historically Black undergraduate colleges. Texas has 10 such institutions, and Huston-Tillotson is the closest undergraduate HBCU in the nation to California, Wallace said.
Texas has seen an influx of former California residents, and Melva said she thinks this partnership will help strengthen the workforce pipeline even more.
“If it’s working for the corporate and workforce, why don’t we take the lead on building the pipeline for workforce by training more California students to enter into the workforce here?” Wallace asked. “Being the first undergraduate HBCU in California, it’s just an amazing thing.”
The university is partnering with the San Diego Unified School District and National College Resources Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to boost higher education completion rates for underrepresented groups, to make this possible. The nonprofit approached Huston-Tillotson to help the group expand HBCU education offerings in California, Wallace said, and they are both still looking for locations in which to put down roots.
Huston-Tillotson California will offer a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an associate degree in liberal studies to start, she said. Once the foundation and university select a space, Huston-Tillotson will know how many students it can accept, Wallace said.
Wallace said that, as a private university, Huston-Tillotson had the capacity to invest in expansion faster than the public HBCUs. Huston-Tillotson and Austin are also both in a moment of growth: Austin and Central Texas are increasingly becoming a hub for technology and manufacturing; and the university enrolled its largest number of first-time students in its history, was ranked the top private HBCU in Texas for 2025 by U.S. News & World Report and accepted its highest number of international students, Wallace said.
Prospective faculty members in California are already showing interest in teaching at a future campus, and “there’s a lot of energy” behind making it a reality, she said.
“There’s a scroll of things longer than I-35 that could possibly fail, but we are focusing on all of the ways that we can make this happen for those kids out there who want to attend an HBCU and just don’t have access,” Wallace said.
An HBCU education has become more desirable to applicants after the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action in 2023, and many states adopted anti-diversity, equity and inclusion legislation limiting supports and resources tailored to students of color, creating a reportedly hostile environment for some underserved communities. HBCUs were founded to help address disparities in education opportunities for Black students, and in 2022, 9% of Black college students, who make up 3% of college student demographics, choose to attend them, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Huston-Tillotson, the first higher education institution in Austin, offers a holistic, personalized education while being a close partner to Austin’s businesses and workforce needs, Wallace said. The university looks forward to reaching more students, she said, and living out the goals set in its strategic plan, which was launched last summer, “From First to Foremost.” It will celebrate its 150th anniversary next year.
“We want to be leaders in providing talent who are not just prepared to come in and sit at the cubicle and do a job, but that they can think critically,” Wallace said about students. “They come with a brightness about them. They come with a joy.”
In the future, Wallace would consider expanding the California campus, and even consider expanding internationally, she said.
“We’re only limited by our imagination,” she said.
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A report released by the think tank Texas 2036 claims that ten state laws implemented between 2019 and 2025 led to “one of the nation’s most comprehensive strategies for connecting education to careers.”
The report is titled “The Next Generation of the Texas Miracle.” It can be read below.
Mary Lynn Pruneda, Texas 2036’s director of education and workforce policy, said in an announcement accompanying the report that the reforms have been steps in the right direction.
“Texas has a bright economic future ahead of it, but we have to make sure that Texas students are equipped to share in this prosperity,” she said. “Texas needs to double down on improving and investing in high-quality career pathways so that all Texas students can take part in the Texas Miracle. Thankfully, due to the Legislature’s great work over the past four sessions, we are on our way to that critical goal.”
The report gives several data points, such as a 532% increase in high schoolers earning “post-secondary credentials” since 2018, or that community colleges awarded 140,000 “credentials of value” in 2024.
It paints a rosy picture of the future Texas economy, but doesn’t source its data or explain how it reached these conclusions. It’s apparent that the think tank wants further laws related to Texas’ workforce and education.
“Texas 2036 is actively engaged in that process, pushing for data modernization and interoperability reforms that would allow the state to track whether credentials are meeting real employer needs in communities across the state,” said the think tank in its announcement.
Grace Atkins, policy advisor of postsecondary education for Texas 2036, called the think tank’s report “encouraging.”
“The early results are encouraging: more students are earning credentials that can help them move into good jobs, and that is real progress,” she said. “For students and families, these pathways can be the difference between getting by and getting ahead. The next step is making sure more Texans can earn credentials that lead to strong wages, real career options and greater economic mobility.”
-
Los Angeles, Ca51 minutes agoKnee irritation forces Shohei Ohtani out of Friday start, All‑Star game
-
Detroit, MI1 hour agoDetroit Evening Report: Waymo cars blocking first responders – WDET 101.9 FM
-
San Francisco, CA1 hour agoSan Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie Blocks Vacant Grocery Store Tax Proposal | KQED
-
Miami, FL1 hour agoOregon Battling Miami, Mario Cristobal for Four-Star EDGE Recruit
-
Dallas, TX1 hour agoFC Dallas Forward Logan Farrington Inks Contract Extension
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoRed Sox face lengthy travel issues ahead of series vs. Mets
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoWhat’s going on with the Nuggets? Unpacking an NBA offseason on hold
-
Seattle, WA2 hours agoSeattle Kraken Sign Goaltender Victor Östman and Defenseman Ville Ottavainen to One-Year Deals | Seattle Kraken
