CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Del Mar College is opening applications for the second cohort of its Freedom to Dream Tuition Waiver Program, which provides free education to qualifying students for up to three years.
Catarina Martinez experienced the life-changing impact of the program firsthand. When she learned her tuition would be covered, the emotional moment brought tears to her and her mother's eyes.
"Whenever we found out that I had school for free like I cried, my mom cried, my dad's cheering in the other room like it was just such a blessing," Martinez said.
Martinez's educational journey had been interrupted by financial challenges. After graduating from Veterans Memorial High School, she initially attended Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi but had to leave due to financial difficulties.
"I originally went to the island after I had graduated from veterans, but there was a little bit of financial troubles and I wasn't able to stay there so I tried coming over to Delmar and I was only able to complete one semester before. I wasn't able to afford anymore," Martinez said.
Now studying biology at Del Mar College through the program, Martinez has clear career goals ahead of her.
"I wanna be a Chinese medicine and acupuncturist," Martinez said.
The Freedom to Dream initiative gave free tuition to over 1,700 students and launched in fall 2025. This week, Del Mar College announced that it's expanding for its second cohort with new additions. The program now includes continuing education options that provide institutional credentials leading to licensure or certification for those wanting careers with shorter time in school.
Dr. Patricia Benavides-Dominguez, VP Division of Student Affairs, explained the reasoning behind the expansion.
"We knew that the continuing ed programs of study were of great interest and were drawing lots of enrollment, so we wanted to try it out," Benavides-Dominguez said.
Benavides-Dominguez said the program has been making a difference, and noted that students can still receive additional financial assistance through scholarships and financial aid on top of the free tuition from the program.
Martinez encourages other students to take advantage of the opportunity, emphasizing the importance of accessible education.
"I just really really really want everyone to get the free education that they deserve nobody deserves not to have an education," Martinez said.
According to the Del Mar College website, requirements for the second cohort program include:
In-District Residency: Students must reside within the boundaries of Corpus Christi ISD, Calallen ISD, Flour Bluff ISD, Tuloso-Midway ISD, West Oso ISD, or parts of London ISD and Robstown ISD.
High School Graduates: Must be part of the Class of 2026, including GED recipients. Dual credit students are eligible regardless of the number of credits earned.
Adult Learners: Must have 12 or fewer college credits completed at the time the Fall 2026 semester begins.
Additional Requirements: Students must enroll in at least 12 semester credit hours per term beginning in the Fall 2026 semester and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to continue receiving the waiver.
Those wanting to apply can look for applications by the end of January 2026 and can go here to stay updated for the latest here.
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