JUNE 30, 2022 — UTSA has distributed $6.6 million to support 8,831 students enrolled for summer classes. The funding comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which was set up to provide emergency financial aid grants to students who have faced significant unexpected expenses and are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. This latest round of funding is part of the university’s ongoing support of students and the South Texas region in response to the lasting effects of COVID-19.
“We recognize that UTSA’s role as an urban Hispanic Serving Institution magnifies our potential impact on students and our community,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “As we manage the lingering effects of the pandemic, we’re committed to finding ways to support our students and community.”
According to UTSA research on the economic impact of COVID-19 on San Antonio residents, Hispanic families are much more likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to experience various pandemic-related hardships—including trouble paying rent or a mortgage, job loss and delaying needed medical services. With nearly 20,000 students—or 57% of its total population—identifying as Hispanic or Latino, UTSA has designated millions of dollars toward emergency financial aid and grants.
Since the program began in 2020, the institution has disbursed over $89 million in HEERF emergency financial aid grants to 35,939 students, who use these funds to help cover education-related expenses such as tuition, books, food, housing, technology, health care and child care.
HEERF was part of the larger Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. UTSA has also used CARES Act funding to provide training and support to the university’s instructors on strategies to effectively teach in online, in-person, or hybrid learning environments. Additionally, the university has invested in improvements to campus resources that help students be successful in and out of the classroom.
Students currently enrolled for the summer semester who have not previously received HEERF assistance can seek emergency financial aid grants by completing a HEERF aid application form. Applications are currently being reviewed for the summer 2022 semester.
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The Racial Justice Book Club was established at UTSA by members of the campus community to explore social justice following acts of racial violence across the nation over the last few years. We are reading The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas by Monica Muñoz Martinez. We will meet every Wednesday in September and October at 2 pm on Zoom.
Virtual EventIn this workshop, you will learn study strategies to help prepare for midterms and tips to use during the tests! This workshop will be held in person, in the HCAP Student Success Center, with a virtual option via Zoom.
HCAP Student Success Center (MS 2.02.36), Main CampusJoin us for a conversation and workshop with local San Antonio author, Anel I. Flores as we discuss her process and professional experiences in publication. As a 'banned' author, she will also offer guidance on being true to your culture and identity in the process of creation.
Mesquite Room (SU 2.01.24,) Main CampusCelebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at our very own street fair - Calle UTSA. We will have activities, performances, food, music, and piñatas to break open.
Student Union PaseoIn partnership with SA Digital Connects, HCAP will host a Lecture on Digital Divide in San Antonio.
Riklin Auditorium (FS 1.406,) Main Campus"La Plática" is a space for thoughtful dialogue to build a sense of connection among the Roadrunner Community by getting to know each other better and sharing what's on our minds and about ourselves to increase to increase awareness of diverse perspectives.
Virtual EventThe UTSA Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee is hosting internationally acclaimed poet, writer, storyteller, author, and San Antonio native Dr. Carmen Tafolla. Dr. Tafolla will be sharing her experiences, inspirations, and writing.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education.
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
