In 2014, a partnership between Citizens 1st Bank, The James I. Perkins Family Foundation and Tyler Junior College established the Rusk TJC Citizens Promise. The first of its kind in the state of Texas, this scholarship program will improve the lives of countless Rusk students and families.

“The Rusk TJC Citizens Promise is off to a roaring start,” said Tyler Junior College President Dr. Mike Metke. “What was once an idea is now a reality that will have a lasting impact on the lives of Rusk students and their families for years to come.”


The Promise is available exclusively to qualifying Rusk High School graduates who enroll at Tyler Junior College within three years of graduation. To qualify, students must meet requirements for grade-point average, residency and enrollment. Rusk TJC Citizens Promise Scholars may receive up to $8,000 for two years to be used toward tuition, fees, books and housing. And unlike a typical college experience, Rusk Scholars have access to a dedicated Promise scholarship coordinator who will guide them toward their academic goals.

And that appears to be working as the first class of Rusk Promise Scholars outperformed all other traditional freshmen who entered TJC in Fall 2014. At the end of their first year in Spring 2015, the median cumulative GPA for Rusk Promise Scholars was 3.16, compared to 2.69 for all other traditional TJC freshmen.