The hidden cost of workforce training — and how South Texas College is trying to lower it

South Texas College is expanding a free uniform and workwear program to two more campuses in McAllen as part of an effort to reduce out-of-pocket costs for students enrolled in workforce training programs.

The expansion gives current students and recently graduated alumni, for up to one year, access to free scrubs, lab coats, fire-resistant clothing, and professional attire, STC officials said in a news release Monday.

College administrators said uniforms and protective gear can represent a significant expense for students in health care and skilled trades programs. Students are sometimes required to purchase them before they are allowed to attend labs, clinicals, or job-site courses.

STC Career Services coordinator Joanna Nino-Montes said the initiative has grown with support from the college and community.

“Through generous donations, we’re able to provide students with suits, dresses, shirts, ties, and other professional and career-specific clothing when they need it most,” Nino-Montes said.

STC has been running the program at its main campus in McAllen since 2019 but is expanding it to two other campuses in McAllen: the Health Science Professions campus and Technology campus.

Scrubs and clinical apparel

At the Health Science Professions campus in McAllen, students can now obtain program-specific scrubs in required colors for individual academic tracks.

“We’re thrilled to see the closet come to life at the Health Science Professions campus,” STC Career and Placement specialist Karyna Cruz said. “Students can dress professionally, pick up scrubs or donate items to support their peers.”

For Stacey Garcia, who plans to apply to the Patient Care Technician, Vocational Nursing, and Associate Degree Nursing programs, access to donated scrubs reduces the cost of moving between programs that require different uniforms.

“I took the College Success for Healthcare class a couple of semesters ago, which required khaki-colored scrubs, so I donated mine,” Garcia said. “Now that I’m preparing for another program, I’m using scrubs that were donated by former students. It’s an incredible resource because we don’t have to spend extra money or worry about the cost of uniforms.”

Graduating students are encouraged to donate gently used scrubs so they can be reused by incoming students. Donations can be made year-round.

Safety gear and protective clothing

At the Technology campus in McAllen, the program also provides and accepts donations of field-specific gear such as safety goggles, boots, and gloves for students in welding, electrical, HVAC, and automotive programs.

That location partners with the Share the Love Memorial Scholarship Foundation to provide fire-resistant welding attire through Daniel’s Closet, a program honoring former STC welding student Daniel Saldana.

“We’re proud to partner with the Share the Love Foundation to support our Welding students,” STC Career and Placement specialist Clarissa Gomez said. “Protective gear can be expensive, and this partnership helps ease that burden.”