New Partnership Will Connect Tarleton State Students to Proven, Evidence-Based Support That Helps More Students Graduate
Fort Worth, Texas (October 6, 2026) – Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) and Tarleton State University celebrated a new partnership designed to help more students stay enrolled, earn degrees and certificates, and access the kinds of careers that create lasting economic mobility.
University and community leaders commemorated the partnership with a Memorandum of Understanding signing on Tuesday, October 6, at 10 a.m. at Tarleton State Fort Worth Campus on Chisholm Trail. The event marked a shared commitment to removing barriers that prevent students from completing their education and reaching their full potential.
At the center of the partnership is Stay the Course®, CCFW’s evidence-based student success model. Built on a simple belief that education is one of the most powerful pathways out of poverty, Stay the Course helps students overcome the non-academic barriers that often stand between enrollment and graduation through comprehensive case management and strategic financial assistance for non-academic needs. Evaluated through a randomized controlled trial by the University of Notre Dame’s Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO), the program has demonstrated dramatic increases in credential completion. Students paired with a Navigator were four times more likely to graduate than their peers, and 35 percent of female participants completed a degree or credential within three years, compared to less than one percent in the comparison group.
Through this partnership, Tarleton State University students will gain access to the proven Stay the Course model, receiving individualized support designed to help them persist through challenges, complete their educational goals, and move toward careers that provide long-term financial stability.
“Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not,” said Heather Reynolds, President and CEO of CCFW. “Too many students leave college because they hit a barrier they can’t overcome alone, not because they lack the ability to succeed. Stay the Course exists to change that. Through this partnership with Tarleton State University, we’re making sure more students have the support they need to earn a degree, secure a living-wage career and create a different future for themselves and their families. That’s how we end poverty, one graduate at a time.”
“Student success is not something any one group or organization can accomplish alone,” said Dr. Rachael Capua, Vice President of External Operations and Dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth. “This partnership reflects the power of a shared commitment centered around persistence and completion at its core. When we pair the resources and expertise of our community partners with existing student support services, we can help remove barriers, keep every Texan moving forward and ensure more students have the opportunity to earn their degrees and build meaningful futures.”
Since its launch, Stay the Course has served thousands of students and expanded to institutions across North Texas, demonstrating how colleges and community partners can work together to improve completion rates, strengthen workforce pipelines and create lasting opportunities for economic mobility.
The October 6 signing celebrated a shared vision between Catholic Charities Fort Worth and Tarleton State University: ensuring that every student has the support they need not only to start college, but to finish it.
About Catholic Charities Fort Worth
At Catholic Charities Fort Worth, we relentlessly end poverty through holistic, research-based solutions. Founded in 1910, CCFW serves tens of thousands of people in North Texas and across the nation each year. To learn more about Catholic Charities Fort Worth, visit www.catholiccharitiesfortworth.org.
About Tarleton State University A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of more than 28,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 127 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.
