PAC Receives THECB Grant

TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD AWARDS
PALO ALTO COLLEGE $90,000 GRANT

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has awarded Palo Alto College (PAC) a two-year, $90,000 grant to encourage students “at risk” of dropping out of college to continue their pursuit of a Baccalaureate degree.

PAC was one of only 14 community colleges statewide to receive the grant.

The grant will support PAC’s “College Connections (2+2+2) Project,” which is designed to encourage a student to transfer between a community college and a four-year institution by providing advising and counseling services to graduating high school seniors and community college students free of charge.

PAC and Texas A&M University—Kingsville System Center San Antonio, will collaborate with the East Central, Edgewood, Harlandale, San Antonio, South San Antonio, Southside and Southwest Independent School Districts to provide its students with college readiness assessments, admissions and financial aid applications. PAC will also host an A&M recruiter in its Center for Academic Transitions, and participate in joint off-campus recruitment events.

The College Connections (2+2+2) Program is projected to serve 1,000 students by providing professional development for guidance counselors in middle school and high school to increase transfer rates; use mentors to increase knowledge of postsecondary education options; conduct summer workshops programs; and strengthen partnerships with other institutions of higher education.

Texas A&M University Kingsville – System Center San Antonio is located at 1450 Gillette Blvd. and currently offers 19 undergraduate degree programs, 8 graduate degree programs, and an Alternative Certification program. For more information about TAMUK-SA please go to https://mail.accd.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.tamuk.edu/sanantonio or contact Marilu Reyna at (210) 326-0003 or e-mail at marilu.reyna@tamuk.edu.

Palo Alto College, one of the Alamo Community Colleges, is a fully accredited community college located on the Southside, and awards associate degrees, short-term certificates and offers non-credit continuing education classes. The campus is located at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 South and Texas Hwy. 16 or online at https://mail.accd.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.accd.edu/pac.