BRYAN, COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M University System is expanding efforts to strengthen early college awareness and career pathways for students across the state through the Texas Rural Education Collaborative (TREC). 

As part of this work, Texas A&M University’s LevelUp Texas initiative will expand to serve additional communities in partnership with Texas A&M University-Texarkana, East Texas A&M University, and Texas A&M University-Victoria. The initiative focuses on helping K–8 students and their families explore college and career opportunities earlier in their educational journey. 

The expansion reflects a coordinated System effort to strengthen the pipeline from early education to postsecondary success, particularly in rural and underserved regions. 

“Across The Texas A&M University System, we take seriously our responsibility to serve every part of this state,” said Robert L. Albritton, chairman of the Board of Regents. “That means meeting students where they are and making sure they can see a clear path forward. This work is about access, opportunity, and building stronger communities across Texas.” 

Launched through Texas A&M University’s Office for Youth Engagement, LevelUp Texas connects students’ interests and strengths to future educational and career pathways through hands-on learning, family engagement, and early exposure to college environments. 

What began as a campus-based initiative is now being scaled across the System through TREC, a place-based model that brings together universities, school districts, and community partners to improve long-term student outcomes. 

“Students do not suddenly decide their future in high school,” said Glenn Hegar. “That sense of possibility starts much earlier. If we want more young people to see a path to Texas A&M, we have to show them what that path looks like and how to get there. This effort helps build that pipeline, from early curiosity to real opportunity, and it allows us to reach more students and families across Texas.” 

Through this expansion, LevelUp Texas will serve as the early college awareness and readiness component of TREC, complementing broader System efforts to strengthen workforce development and regional economic vitality. 

“When students can picture themselves succeeding in college and meaningful careers, it opens doors for generations to come,” A&M-Victoria President Christian Hardigree said. “This initiative is about more than education as it gives students and their families confidence, strengthens our community, and helps young people realize that their future can be bigger than they ever imagined.” 

Hiring and regional planning efforts are underway, with programming expected to launch in the coming months. 

For more information about LevelUp Texas, visit tx.ag/levelup.

 About The Texas A&M University System

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest and most impactful higher education systems in the country, with an annual budget of $8.1 billion. Its statewide network includes 12 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, Texas A&M–Fort Worth, and the Texas A&M–RELLIS Campus. The A&M System serves nearly 175,000 students and reaches millions more through research, service, and outreach programs each year. With nearly $1.6 billion in annual research expenditures, the A&M System fuels innovation, supports communities, and drives Texas’s economy forward.