News - 2026

East Texas Baptist University announces the launch of the ETBU Promise Scholarship for Children of Southern Baptists of Texas Convention (SBTC) Senior Pastors, a new initiative designed to expand access to Christ-centered higher education for pastor families across Texas. This scholarship provides a tuition-only award of up to $20,000 per year, totaling $80,000 over four years, to help the children of senior pastors pursue Christ-centered higher education at ETBU.

East Texas Baptist University will present the Good Samaritan Award to Marshall Economic Development (MED) and Executive Director Rush Harris during the Good Samaritan Award & ETBU Scholarship Dinner on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Great Commission Center.

ETBU invites community members to join in celebrating Marshall Economic Development, its Board of Directors, and Executive Director Rush Harris at this special evening of recognition and scholarship support.

For Faith Harris, theatre has always been a place of belonging, creativity, and growth. Now a senior theatre arts education major at East Texas Baptist University, Harris is stepping into a new role this semester as a student director.

Harris will complete her coursework this spring before beginning student teaching in the fall. As part of her preparation for teaching theatre in the classroom, she is directing a student production, an experience that has invited her to see both the art form and her own leadership in a new way.

East Texas Baptist University is celebrating record-breaking enrollment for Spring 2026, marking the highest Spring enrollment in the University’s history.

With a total enrollment of 1,709 students, ETBU experienced a 6% increase over Spring 2025, surpassing the previous Spring record of 1,657 students set in Spring 2024. This milestone represents the first time the University has exceeded 1,700 students during a Spring semester and highlights continued growth across multiple student populations, including the integration of students from B. H. Carroll Theological Seminary.

The ETBU Cross Country and Track & Field teams departed Marshall early on January 1 for Belize as part of ETBU’s Tiger Athletic Mission Experience (TAME), where they partnered with International Sports Federation (ISF) and THREE18 Ministries for outreach and service over the next week. This is the 25th trip for the ETBU Athletic Department TAME initiative and the second for the Tiger Cross Country and Track & Field program; the program traveled to Greece in 2019.