The Access College and Excel (ACE) program at the University of Texas at San Antonio is uniquely designed for ambitious, talented high school students from predominantly Hispanic inner-city high schools. ACE offers $2,000 scholarships to incoming freshmen who have at least a 2.5 high school GPA, an attendance record of 80% or better during their senior year, and graduate from targeted high schools in the downtown San Antonio area. The program, which supports students for their first two years at the university, promotes academic success through a variety of services including learning communities, individual advising, peer mentoring, tutoring, and a freshman seminar course designed to promote college success.
Institution:
University of Texas - San Antonio
Academic Level:
Baccalaureate
Issue Area:
Outreach
Year:
2007
Designation:
Examples of Excelencia
Designation:
Finalist
Key Personnel:
Davila, Dionne
Address:
University of Texas at San Antonio
Address 2:
501 W. Durango Blvd
City:
San Antonio
State:
TX
Zip:
78207 Website:
Goal/Mission:
The Tomás Rivera Center for Student Success and the USAA Foundation teamed up in 1999 to create the Access College and Excel (ACE) Program. The goal was to promote college success among predominantly first-generation, low-income students. Historically, these students, although talented, are at risk for dropping out before graduation.
Outcome:
The ACE program has become a model for student success at UTSA. It has shown great success since 1999 in helping students succeed and meet their academic goals. We are pleased to report that the six-year graduation rate of 58.3%, for ACE Scholars who entered UTSA in Fall 2000, is almost twice that of the rate for all UTSA students (30%).
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