When Salvador Gonzalez told his father he had earned a scholarship that could pay for his entire associate degree, the moment was emotional. His father, who completed only the third grade while growing up in Mexico, was moved to tears.Just months earlier, Gonzalez had moved from Houston to Bovina, unsure what to expect in a new town and a new school.

Last week, the Amarillo College (AC) Board of Regents approved the Badger Bound Scholarship, a new program designed to make higher education more accessible, affordable, and achievable for area students beginning next fall.The scholarship provides up to 45 hours of free college credit for students who complete at least 15 dual credit hours at AC during high school—enough to total 60 hours and earn an associate degree. To participate, school districts will establish partnership agreements with AC on behalf of their students.