SAN ANTONIO – Rep. Bonilla along with the University of Texas and Casey Family Programs today announced a joint outreach program to give youth in foster care new opportunities to succeed in college through the federally funded TRIO Programs. After receiving a leadership award from Casey Family Programs for his commitment to help young students through the TRIO Programs, Rep. Bonilla visited the Community Transition Services Center where he met with youth in care, alumni of care and students in the TRIO Programs.
“The TRIO Programs are vital to making the dream of college become a reality. Because of the program, I was the first in my family to graduate from college,” said Mr. Bonilla. “No matter what your background is, a good education gives you the chance to compete on a level playing field. A quality education gives everyone a chance to be anything you want to be.”
Starting in San Antonio, Casey Family Programs and the University of Texas will reach out to foster care families to raise awareness about TRIO opportunities for youth in care. Each year across the country more than 20,000 teens turn 18 and emancipate from the foster care system. Too often these emancipated youth are unaware of opportunities and government programs that allow them to pursue a postsecondary education.
“We need to make sure each and every youth in foster care is prepared to succeed as an adult and that means they know about TRIO,” said Ruth Massinga, president and CEO of Casey Family Programs. “TRIO has a proven track record and we are pleased to work with Rep. Bonilla and the University of Texas to ensure all foster care youth in Texas fulfill their dreams of a college education.”
Currently there are more than 1,200 colleges, universities, community colleges and agencies that offer TRIO Programs. The TRIO Programs take a multi-pronged approach that includes:
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Talent Search programs serve young people in grades six through 12. In addition to counseling, participants receive information about college admissions requirements, scholarships and various student financial aid programs. This early intervention program helps people from families with incomes under $24,000.
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Upward Bound helps young students to prepare for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, mathematics and science on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer.
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Student Support Services helps low-income students to stay in college until they earn their baccalaureate degrees. Participants, who include disabled college students, receive tutoring, counseling and remedial instruction.
Close to 1,000 students participate in TRIO Programs at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Academic support and individual advising are some of the services offered to TRIO students.
“We know that students in the Upward Bound program are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in TRIO,” said Rita Cortez, executive director, TRIO and GEAR UP Programs, University of Texas at San Antonio. “We want to extend this support to youth in foster care.”
Across the country there are 542,000 children and youth in the child welfare system. In the San Antonio area an estimated 2,200 children and youth are in foster care.
The Community Transition Services Center serves youth and young adults aged 14-25 in Bexar County who are transitioning or have transitioned from foster care. The center was established to deliver a “one-stop shopping” approach for increased accessibility to healthcare, education, housing, job training and financial support.
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University of Texas at San Antonio
www.utsa.edu
The University of Texas at San Antonio serves the San Antonio metropolitan area and the broader region of South Texas through programs and services offered from its three campuses: 1604 Campus, Downtown Campus and the Institute of Texan Cultures. With nearly 25,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs, UTSA is the third largest component university in the University of Texas System and has been one of the state’s fastest-growing public universities for much of the last decade.