Education Reach for Texans seeks to eliminate barriers to success and build support programs for alumni of care attending public colleges and universities in the state of Texas.

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TEXAS POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS

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Austin Community College – the River Bats offer Campus Champions at each campus as resources for foster alumni, custom orientation sessions, free tutoring, and other services.Dallas County Community College District –  Foster Care Initiative is a collaboration between the DCCCD office of Transfer Services/Articulation/University Relations & Special Populations and Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake, and Richland Colleges. Foster Care Initiative connects foster care alumni students to Transition Coaches at our colleges.

 

Texas State University-San Marcos – the Bobcats make available a range of services to foster alumni including mentoring and access to both university and community resources.

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Texas Tech University – the Red Raiders’ Pegasus Program seeks to make exploration, innovation, and academic success attainable realities for First Generation College (FGC) Students.  First year students are assigned mentors who are other students of TTU.

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Texas Woman’s University – The Pioneers’ Frontiers Program provides specialized services including career development, leadership training and networking opportunities to 15 foster youth over the next three years. Financial support in the form of stipends will be offered to allow participants time for classes, studying and taking part in campus programs. Participants also will receive a laptop computer to increase their access to technology.

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Sam Houston State University – the Bearkats’ FORWARD program serves as a resource to help the student build meaningful relationships within and without the university that are important to successful personal and professional achievements.

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University of Houston – the Cougar’s Urban Experience Program expands opportunities for educationally and economically underserved citizens. The components of the program promotes scholarship, community service, and personal and professional development; through mentorship and internship as a conduit for the development of well-trained professionals.

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University of North Texas – The Mean Green’s Persevere Until Success Happens (PUSH) student organization was created to raise awareness in the public and university communities about the experiences of youth in the child welfare system and to promote excellence, positive support, resources and fellowship to foster care alumni and students.

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University of Texas-Austin – The Longhorn’s Horns Helping Horns organization helps any student without parental support with financial and non-financial support, along with mentoring opportunities.

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University of Texas at El Paso – the home of Paydirt Pete assists foster alumni through the Foster Homeless Adopted Resources (FHAR) program. FHAR connects foster, homeless and adopted individuals through education and advocacy with resources that will assist holistically with their UTEP experience.

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University of Texas at San Antonio – the Roadrunners’ ACCESS Center Lab provides resources for foster youth considering college or job training. This program partners with Baptist Child and Family Services, Project Quest, Angels’ Crossing, Casey Family Services and CASA.

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West Texas A&M – the Buffs’ program, Buff Connections, assists and empowers foster care alumni to utilize available support systems resulting in a successful college experience. Dedicated individuals available to provide students with a personal and trustworthy contact on campus.

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Others – In addition, Alamo Community College, Amarillo College, Clarendon College, Frank Phillips College, Lone Star Colleges in Houston, Midland College, Prairie View A&M, South Plains College, Texas A&M-San Antonio, Texas State Technical Colleges, UT-Permian Basin, and UT-Pan American do not have specific programs for foster youth alumni but have dedicated staff that are available to assist former foster youth enrolled at their schools.

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State Higher Education/Child Welfare/Community-Based Organization Collaboratives – U. S. Map