Texas A&M Corps Cadet. Source: Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is partnering with local school districts through a new program to ensure Brazos Valley students in families with low-incomes complete high school and can attend Texas A&M or another college of their choice.
With the help of local partnerships, the Brazos Valley Promise Program will eventually identify up to 200 seventh grade students from the Brazos Valley area each year to participate in the program. Beginning in the summer before their eighth grade year, the students will start a comprehensive preparation program that will ensure they successfully complete high school and that guaranteed tuition support awaits them at Texas A&M. All students who complete the Brazos Valley Promise Program will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Texas A&M, if admitted, and continued mentorship and support until they graduate.
Chris Reed, executive director of admissions, said the program prioritizes local students who may feel overlooked.
“We are building this program to ensure that there is never another student who grows up in the shadow of Texas A&M University without ever seeing enrolling here as a possibility,” he says. “This community has done an exceptional job of supporting Texas A&M. We are now taking direct action in supporting this community."
Reed says the program aims to make Texas A&M more accessible to local students who lack the resources to take advantage of the world-class opportunities in their own backyard. The goal is to help these students stay in school, graduate from high school, and gain admission to Texas A&M or another college of their choice.
Through residential experiences on campus in the summers, seminars during the school year, and college admissions preparation, Brazos Valley Promise Program participants will learn about new subjects and career paths, and gain the confidence to plan their futures, university officials say.
Program benefits include enhanced support of local students, a demonstrated commitment to supporting local communities, increased participation from underrepresented populations where transportation and housing are not primary obstacles, and strengthened relationships with local school districts. Furthermore, university officials say, the Brazos Valley Promise Program allows Texas A&M to address local students facing barriers in a meaningful and potentially more efficient way.
For more information about the Brazos Valley Promise Program, contact Bekah James Pepper at rjames@tamu.edu or Maritza Hernandez Bailey at mhbailey@tamu.edu. Expansion to additional schools is projected for future years of the program.
By Jasmine Johnson, Texas A&M University Division of Enrollment & Academic Services
