Congressman Rubén Hinojosa announced that Coastal Bend College (CBC), Beeville and CBC Alice, Texas State Technical College (TSTC), Harlingen, and the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), Edinburg will each receive federal grants totaling $1.2 million to fund the Talent Search program which will help students from low-income families pursue higher education.
“I want to congratulate these fine educational institutions for receiving these very important federal grants that support higher education,” said U.S. Rep. Hinojosa. “The programs have been successful in helping students from low-income families, who would not even have considered higher education, enter and stay in colleges and universities. I commend all of the educators, and staff, involved in helping students in their communities enroll and stay in college.”
This is how the funding will be distributed:
CBC Beeville $306,752
CBC Alice $230,000
UPTA $415,652
TSTC $230,000
The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to and complete their postsecondary education. The program publicizes the availability of financial aid and assists participants with the postsecondary application process. Talent Search also encourages persons who have not completed education programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or reenter and complete postsecondary education. The goal of Talent Search is to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education.
CBC Educational Talent Search Program in Alice serves eight area schools and 616 students. Participating students are from Benavides, Falfurrias, Freer, Orange Grove, Premont and San Diego High Schools.
Project Director for Educational Talent Search in Alice, Jose Schuenemann, said she is thrilled with the grant award because it will help so many students. “Most of our students are first generation high school graduates who have never even been to a college campus,” said Schuenemann. “In our first year we had 80 percent of our students enroll in college. Last summer, I took 43 students to visit colleges in Houston and to tour NASA. They were so excited and enthusiastic about achieving their dreams of earning a college degree.”
CBC Educational Talent Search Program in Beeville serves 671 participants in 12 rural schools in South Texas. Participating students attend middle and high schools in Beeville, George West, Karnes City, Kenedy, Mathis, Odem, Pettus, Refugio, Runge, Skidmore, Taft and Three Rivers.
TSTC’s CAST project (College Assistance for Student Talent) provides services for students in grades six through 12 in San Benito, Santa Maria and Mercedes Independent School Districts.
At UTPA, the Talent Search program serves eligible ninth- through 12th-graders from five Hidalgo County high schools in La Joya, Palmview, Juarez-Lincoln, Mission and Edcouch-Elsa.
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