Come to Believe Continues National Expansion with New CTB Model College in Texas
Texas Woman’s University is Bringing Come to Believe’s Proven Model to Dallas
NEW YORK—The Come to Believe Foundation (CTB), a nonprofit that assists higher education institutions in developing and launching embedded two-year college programs, today announced that Texas Woman’s University will establish a new CTB model college as part of its Dallas campus, continuing the growth of the CTB model nationally.
Come to Believe’s model, first developed at Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, is a two-year, associate degree-granting program embedded within a four-year college or university. The model is designed to provide students with rigorous academics and holistic supports without the burden of high tuition costs or student loans. Students benefit from small classes, dedicated faculty advisors, professional development opportunities, mental health services and a comprehensive set of wraparound supports.
The new CTB college at TWU Dallas will offer the same level of affordability, rigor and support as the other CTB colleges, while also representing some important firsts. The new CTB college at TWU Dallas is the first implementation of the model within a public university, an important milestone demonstrating the model’s viability in a variety of institutional contexts. Geographically, TWU’s CTB college will be the first replication of the model in Texas—and in the entire southwestern United States. Other colleges are currently operating in Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and New York. Finally, TWU’s new CTB college will be the first to focus on a specific discipline, with students earning an embedded associate degree in business that aligns with TWU’s existing BBA degree offerings.
TWU’s new college addresses an urgent need for postsecondary innovation in Dallas. According to data from the Dallas Regional Chamber, only 30% of students in the Dallas region will complete a postsecondary credential within six years of graduation from high school. Furthermore, according to the Dallas County Promise, the high school class of 2025 in Dallas County produced nearly 8,000 graduates with a GPA above 2.5 that did not enroll in any postsecondary program.
“Urgency. Come to Believe and Texas Woman’s University share the same sense of urgency,” said Fr. Steve Katsouros, SJ, President of Come to Believe. “An urgency based on the fact that every June, deserving, talented students graduate from high school without a path that feels affordable, achievable, or accessible. As TWU adapts and implements CTB’s model, that urgency is addressed for young people in Dallas.”
CTB welcomed TWU into its Design Grant program for prospective host institutions in Fall 2025, recognizing its commitment to access, strong leadership, and impressive institutional capacity, as well as the significant need for new, high-quality postsecondary options in Dallas. As part of the design grant process, CTB provided TWU with inside access to existing CTB model colleges, planning resources and customized advisory services. Come to Believe is also providing TWU with $500,000 in seed funding to support the launch of the college, and will continue to support TWU leadership, faculty, and staff as they recruit and enroll the first class of students in Fall 2027.
“TWU was founded in 1901 to open the doors of higher education wider for women who faced significant barriers to opportunity. This new college, based on the Come to Believe model in the heart of downtown Dallas, carries that historic mission forward by breaking barriers for another generation of students,” TWU Dallas President Christopher Johnson said. “What excites me most about this model is its record of success. For more than a decade, Come to Believe colleges have shown that when academically prepared students have an affordable pathway and the right support, they succeed at remarkably high rates.”
