Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
MCALLEN, Texas – South Texas College’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) faculty say assistance in the form of numerous scholarships, is available for students looking to enter the program just in time for the fall semester.
Whether students are looking for additional assistance to cover tuition, fees, books or even gas to get to campus, program staff say all students taking AMT or Robotics and Mechatronics courses may be eligible for scholarships.
“For any student who is interested in Advanced Manufacturing, we invite them to contact us or visit us for information because we have these scholarships available, and as long as they meet the criteria, these funds can help students get the certificates or degrees that give them access to the high-demand, high-paying jobs in our area,” said AMT Program Chair Erika Guerra. “Imagine being able to receive your certificate or associate degree at little to no cost. This is what we are offering.”
The AMT program announced last spring that it became the recipient of the GE Aerospace Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $165,000 for the first time in program history, which seeks to help advance manufacturing in communities.
The program is also the recipient of donations made by the Gene Haas Foundation, which for over a decade has awarded scholarships to STC students who are entering the manufacturing industry. AMT receives more than $20,000 from the foundation, awarding 10 students each fall and spring semesters scholarships of $1,000 to support them as they earn a certificate or degree in manufacturing.
It is this funding that continues to help AMT students like Victor Barrera.
Barrera said he received the GE Foundation and Gene Haas Foundation scholarships in the spring.
“I want to do something that is going to help impact my community and maybe bring more jobs here to the Valley,” Barrera said. “When I graduate next May, I look forward to getting out into the workforce and getting more experience, but I thank STC and the program for helping me get there.”
The AMT program is also supported by the South Texas Manufacturers Association (STMA), which since 2012 has offered annual scholarships to standout students starting with two $1,000 scholarships a year.
What first began in 1995 with one faculty member 15 students in one facility at STC’s Technology Campus, the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program has since expanded into a brand-new building which is home to six faculty along with five dual credit programs instructors and over 200 students in Hidalgo and Starr counties.
The program currently offers five degree plans including a Manufacturing Technician Occupational Skills Award, Mechatronics Technician Occupational Skills Award, Precision Manufacturing Technology Certificate, Robotics and Mechatronics Technology Certificate, and an Associate of Applied Science in Precision Manufacturing Technology.
As of 2025, 87% of graduates who have received an associate degree are employed. The program also has a persistent rate of 81% for students earning their associate degree as of 2025, which refers to new students who return to class after their first year.
“We are proud, and we as faculty have worked hard to ensure that our graduation rate and our placement rates have remained at such excellent levels because this means our employers are looking at us and the students we produce. Many of our students are hired while they’re still going through the program,” Guerra said. “This is an incredibly positive aspect for us because students looking to enroll in our program, also get the benefits to going directly into the workforce. We have a lot of companies who are looking for them.”
For more information about STC’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology program visit https://www.southtexascollege.edu/academics/manufacturing/.
Information source: STC
