Texas A&M University-Texarkana has announced that a new community partnership has been formed with Transco, a local provider of railcar repair and manufacturing. The new partnership will allow employees of the company to receive discounted tuition on coursework at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. The partnership was finalized with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the parties on June 17, 2025.
For more than 85 years Transco has been a leader in the railcar industry. A subsidiary of Marmon (a Berkshire Hathaway company), Transco is part of the largest railcar repair network in North America. Transco operates 10 repair facilities across New York, Texas, Indiana, Montana, Ohio, Iowa, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania, including a facility in Texarkana. The Texarkana plant employs approximately 130 team members and serves as a vital part of Transco’s nationwide network.
“We are pleased to announce our new academic partnership with Transco,” said Dr. Ross Alexander, President of Texas A&M University-Texarkana. “Transco’s position in the railcar repair and manufacturing industry is vital to the continued economic growth of our region. We look forward to helping their employees work towards their education goals at A&M-Texarkana.”
“At Transco Texarkana, we view our partnership with Texas A&M University–Texarkana as a strategic investment in the future of our workforce,” said Morgan Raffray, Human Resources Manager at Transco Texarkana. “By aligning educational opportunity with the skill, craftsmanship, and experience already ingrained in our rail team, we’re building stronger talent, supporting local growth, and living out our People First Culture in a way that creates lasting value—for our company, our employees, and our region. It’s a meaningful step forward—for our team and the community we call home.”
Under the new academic partnership all full-time Transco employees will receive a tuition discount on all undergraduate, graduate, certificate, or micro-credential programs delivered in-person, online, or through a hybrid format. The agreement also waives the standard application fee. In addition to the tuition discount, any eligible employee who is a new student at the university will receive the First Flight Scholarship, which gives the new students their first class free if they are enrolled in at least 6 hours at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Employees wishing to take advantage of the new partnership must meet the admissions standards of the program to which they apply and must remain in good academic standing. For additional information about this and additional academic partnerships please visit the university website at www.tamut.edu/partnerships.
About Texas A&M University-Texarkana:
As a member of The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University-Texarkana is a comprehensive regional university that provides students with academically challenging, engaging and rewarding educational experiences through quality teaching, scholarship, student support services, co-curricular programming, research, and service.
Photo: Morgan Raffray, Human Resources Manager for Transco and Dr. Ross Alexander, President of A&M-Texarkana sign an agreement establishing a partnership between the university and the railcar service company.
