KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station
Free residential training program for low-income youth in San Marcos stuck in limbo
By Maya Fawaz
June 30, 2025 at 3:01 PM CDT
Heather Escalante came to Texas from Arizona with nothing but the clothes on her back.
“I didn’t even have documentation, identification, nothing,” she said. “I had dropped out in the eighth grade and the last grade I had completed was the seventh grade.”
Escalante enrolled in classes at Job Corps in San Marcos, which provides free educational and vocational training to young people, with on-campus housing for students and staff. The program has locations nationwide, but the center in San Marcos — known as Gary Job Corps — is the program’s largest.
"Our students have gone through very difficult things for them to overcome, and this is a safe space."
Escalante said Job Corps changed the trajectory of her life.
“I had gone through a lot of, from what I know now, traumatic experiences,” she said. “I was a homeless youth and lived in very poor, dangerous neighborhoods. There was … human trafficking, drug trafficking.”
About three years ago, she returned to Gary Job Corps to become an instructor. She said it was a full-circle experience.
“These young people have gone through so much, whether it’s similar to my story or have different experiences that are just as hard,” she said. “Our students have gone through very difficult things for them to overcome, and this is a safe space.”
In May, the U.S. labor secretary said the program was “no longer achieving the intended outcomes" and paused all Job Corp center operations. Students who were close to finishing their programs had a chance to wrap them up by June 30. All others had to pack their bags.
“ I had conversations where students would come to me and tell me, ‘What am I supposed to do now? Do I have to go back to the streets?” said Escalante, who didn't know where she would go, either.
Back and forth
On Wednesday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily stopping the Department of Labor from shutting down the program while a final decision is made on its fate.
Then, two days later, the Supreme Court issued a decision limiting nationwide injunctions in an unrelated case. Lucas Powe, a professor at UT Austin's School of Law who specializes in the Supreme Court, said it's unclear how the ruling will impact Job Corps' ability to stay open in San Marcos.
(1200x1000, AR: 1.2)
Randolph Goodman, community relations coordinator with Gary Job Corps, said the center has resumed operations since Wednesday's ruling and is gearing back up to enroll students.
“We’re gonna fight this till the end, and then we’ll fight past that,” he said.
Goodman, who is in charge of recruitment, said the program in San Marcos usually has about 800 students enrolled. Now, there are only about 300.
He said the back and forth has caused confusion.
" It just has a lot to do with the current [presidential] administration," Goodman said. "They've gone in like a bull in a China shop, just went in and started cutting and slashing without any idea about the repercussions."
KUT News reached out to the Department of Labor for comment, but did not hear back.
Why did the program get paused?
A 2023 report from the Labor Department shows the cost per student to attend Job Corps programs is more than $80,000 per year. That far exceeds the average annual salary students earn after graduation, which was about $16,695.
That's one of the reasons the federal agency gave for wanting to end the program. Another reason cited was the overall graduation rate, which is 38.6%.
Escalante said these statistics don't take into consideration the number of students who enter the military or further their education in graduate programs. Their yearly earnings would bring down the average income, she said.
Escalante said the majority of her students graduate and earn living wages after they leave Gary Job Corps. She said she believes there’s still value in students being enrolled in classes and receiving career support, even if they don’t graduate.
“ The trainings that they complete, they take with them,” she said.
“I didn’t even have documentation, identification, nothing,” she said. “I had dropped out in the eighth grade and the last grade I had completed was the seventh grade.”
Escalante enrolled in classes at Job Corps in San Marcos, which provides free educational and vocational training to young people, with on-campus housing for students and staff. The program has locations nationwide, but the center in San Marcos — known as Gary Job Corps — is the program’s largest.
"Our students have gone through very difficult things for them to overcome, and this is a safe space."
Escalante said Job Corps changed the trajectory of her life.
“I had gone through a lot of, from what I know now, traumatic experiences,” she said. “I was a homeless youth and lived in very poor, dangerous neighborhoods. There was … human trafficking, drug trafficking.”
About three years ago, she returned to Gary Job Corps to become an instructor. She said it was a full-circle experience.
“These young people have gone through so much, whether it’s similar to my story or have different experiences that are just as hard,” she said. “Our students have gone through very difficult things for them to overcome, and this is a safe space.”
In May, the U.S. labor secretary said the program was “no longer achieving the intended outcomes" and paused all Job Corp center operations. Students who were close to finishing their programs had a chance to wrap them up by June 30. All others had to pack their bags.
“ I had conversations where students would come to me and tell me, ‘What am I supposed to do now? Do I have to go back to the streets?” said Escalante, who didn't know where she would go, either.
Back and forth
On Wednesday, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction, temporarily stopping the Department of Labor from shutting down the program while a final decision is made on its fate.
Then, two days later, the Supreme Court issued a decision limiting nationwide injunctions in an unrelated case. Lucas Powe, a professor at UT Austin's School of Law who specializes in the Supreme Court, said it's unclear how the ruling will impact Job Corps' ability to stay open in San Marcos.
(1200x1000, AR: 1.2)
Randolph Goodman, community relations coordinator with Gary Job Corps, said the center has resumed operations since Wednesday's ruling and is gearing back up to enroll students.
“We’re gonna fight this till the end, and then we’ll fight past that,” he said.
Goodman, who is in charge of recruitment, said the program in San Marcos usually has about 800 students enrolled. Now, there are only about 300.
He said the back and forth has caused confusion.
" It just has a lot to do with the current [presidential] administration," Goodman said. "They've gone in like a bull in a China shop, just went in and started cutting and slashing without any idea about the repercussions."
KUT News reached out to the Department of Labor for comment, but did not hear back.
Why did the program get paused?
A 2023 report from the Labor Department shows the cost per student to attend Job Corps programs is more than $80,000 per year. That far exceeds the average annual salary students earn after graduation, which was about $16,695.
That's one of the reasons the federal agency gave for wanting to end the program. Another reason cited was the overall graduation rate, which is 38.6%.
Escalante said these statistics don't take into consideration the number of students who enter the military or further their education in graduate programs. Their yearly earnings would bring down the average income, she said.
Escalante said the majority of her students graduate and earn living wages after they leave Gary Job Corps. She said she believes there’s still value in students being enrolled in classes and receiving career support, even if they don’t graduate.
“ The trainings that they complete, they take with them,” she said.