June 30 information request, application process deadline looming for DMC’s “Freedom to Dream 2.0” Tuition Waiver Program with second cohort to start this fall
Updated program includes college readiness requirement and additional Success Coaches to assist students’ journey while attending Del Mar College; in-district residents encouraged to apply
Article by Melinda Eddleman
The clock is ticking. Tuesday, June 30, is the deadline for Del Mar College (DMC) District residents to request information and start the application process for the “Freedom to Dream 2.0” Tuition Waiver Program as part of the second cohort that will begin this fall semester.
As a first for DMC that began last fall, the innovative Freedom to Dream program is designed to expedite qualifying in-district students’ completion of an associate degree within a three-year period by attending full time after signing a commitment contract. However, the 2.0 version has been updated.
The college’s online inquiry and application process form for the revised program is still available through Tuesday for the 2026-2027 academic year. Freedom to Dream 2.0 addresses selected students’ college readiness to ensure success in reaching their goals is achieved.
To date, 1,853 in-district residents have applied for Freedom to Dream 2.0.
As we move closer to the start of the new academic year, I highly encourage in-district residents thinking about attending Del Mar College to inquire and apply for Freedom to Dream 2.0 before the deadline. This program addresses college administrators’ belief that tuition shouldn’t be a barrier to setting and reaching goals through higher education for those who qualify for this initiative.
She adds, “Freedom to Dream 2.0 continues our commitment to providing the pathway toward success for the next cohort of students, and we’re implementing upgrades that address student needs discovered with the first cohort.”
Dr. Benavides-Dominguez notes that focusing on college readiness and the addition of “Success Coaches” will keep students on track from the beginning to the end of their journey at DMC. “Our goal is successful student outcomes as we prepare all Freedom to Dream participants for the workforce or their next path in higher education, ” she says.
Success Coaches’ primary focus is to increase student retention, persistence and graduation rates for Freedom to Dream students. These individuals provide students with personalized coaching so that students meet tuition waiver program requirements, complete educational and transfer goals as well as connect to resources that support academic success.
Compared to the first iteration of Freedom to Dream, DMC’s revised Freedom to Dream 2.0 Tuition Waiver Program focuses on “college readiness” as a requirement along with other updates associated with this change:
• Applicants must demonstrate their preparedness for college-level courses by earning college
readiness benchmark scores on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA) 2.0 test.
See steps to take the TSIA test and readiness score requirements.
• Freedom to Dream 2.0 will not cover tuition for developmental courses needed to bring
participants up to college level work in English, mathematics and reading.
Students can alternately pursue stackable “Marketable Skills Awards” offered through DMC Continuing Education (CE) programs that can count toward academic programs, build workforce skills and are considered by the state as “credentials of value.”
Qualifying individuals must live within the college’s taxing district, which includes the Corpus Christi, Calallen, Flour Bluff, Tuloso-Midway and West Oso Independent School Districts and parts of London and Robstown ISDs.
Other criteria include:
• High school graduates must be part of the Class of 2026, including General Education
Development (GED) recipients, and Dual Credit students, who are eligible regardless of the
number of credits they’ve earned.
• Adult learners must have 12 or fewer semester credit hours completed and have attempted no
more than 18 semester hours at the time the fall 2026 semester begins, which is Aug. 24.
Among other requirements original to the program are 1) enrollment as a full-time student with no less than 12 semester credit hours each semester (fall and spring) and 2) maintaining a minimum 2.0 grade point average to continue receiving the tuition waiver.
To learn more about qualifying criteria for Freedom to Dream 2.0 and to fill out an online request for information form, visit www.delmar.edu/freedom.
Questions? Contact Del Mar College’s Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu.
Fall 2026 credit classes begin Monday, Aug. 24. Registration is already underway!
Del Mar College … where you can “own your dreams!”
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.
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