Texas Border Business
By Amanda Sotelo
Valley Promise powered by South Texas College has been chosen as one of 10 promise programs nationwide to be a part of the newly launched College Promise Learning Community (CPLC): Advancing Impact through Compelling Communication, a nationwide community of practice designed to support promise program teams.
As a team selected through a competitive application process with nationwide interest, STC Valley Promise, as part of this community, will have the opportunity to strengthen its communication impact, results and return on investment to funders, policymakers, students and community stakeholders through biweekly meetings and workshops hosted by College Promise.
STC President Ricardo J. Solis, Ph.D., said the idea behind launching Valley Promise nearly two years ago came from a collective leadership effort of making college accessible and affordable for all students.
“Our mission at STC is giving every student in our region and beyond, the opportunity at a higher education; one that will provide a successful career that results in generational change,” he said. “Valley Promise is our commitment to giving students a lifechanging resource that can change the trajectory of their lives and that of their families. We are honored to have been one of only 10 institutions chosen for this amazing opportunity through College Promise and we look forward to collaborating with our peers across the country to enhance, strengthen and amplify our program.”
Since the program’s inception, Valley Promise has served nearly 2,800 students, increasing its pledges annually, with nearly half of those pledges enrolling and registering, according to Valley Promise Director Melissa Peña.
Valley Promise is a last-dollar initiative that is applied to tuition after all financial aid has been used. Through this promise program, students also receive dedicated coaching and mentoring and are tracked throughout their college journey to provide resources and assistance, such as tutoring or counseling, to ensure student success.
“This is truly an honor. We are one of the youngest programs to have been chosen for this opportunity,” said Peña. “Being a part of this community is going to help us elevate what we are doing for our students and region to expand access to a higher education especially for many of our first-generation, underserved and low socioeconomic students who count on our support.”
The Pledge form for the next Valley Promise cohort is now open. Deadline to take the Valley Promise Pledge is July 1.
For more information on STC’s Valley Promise program, visit valleypromise.org.
