AUSTIN – On Sept. 20, 2017, the Texas Veterans Commission was informed that a search warrant had been executed at the Retail Ready Career Center in Garland, Texas which is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General.
The TVC’s Education Program serves as the State Approving Agency and approves programs of education for veterans and eligible family members to utilize VA education benefits. RRCC’s approval to train veterans using VA education benefits in it’s HVAC program was withdrawn.
RRCC chose to close their school and send veteran students home on Wednesday, September 27th, 2017. As of this afternoon, RRCC stated that transportation has been secured for all out-of-state students to their homes of record.
The TVC is currently in the process of identifying student veterans impacted by this closure and identifying their needs. Current students will be contacted by the VA with information regarding benefit payments. We are also working with the Texas Workforce Commission and local partner organizations within the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including the North Texas Veterans Coalition, who can assist veterans with any immediate housing or financial needs.
Eastfield College has reached out to try and help any local student veterans who want to continue to pursue their HVAC certification. Interested students may contact the Eastfield College Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Success at (972) 860-7340 or via email at 4veteranaffairs@dcccd.edu. Additionally, the Dallas County Community College District is working on identifying other similar programs that they can offer local students affected by this closure.