Commitment to first-generation, transfer student success earns UTSA $7 million grant

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024 — UTSA will receive $7.2 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program. The grant will advance a four-year project to improve equitability and student outcomes among first-generation and transfer students from lower-income backgrounds.

The project, called “UTSA One: Helping First-Generation Students Seize Opportunities,” is a partnership between UTSA and Northwest Vista College. It will serve 450 first-generation and transfer students in their first year across both campuses annually throughout the project’s duration.

The initiative will focus on improving student persistence, retention, credit completion and grade point average through personalized student success coaching, guided learning pathways, and financial incentives for program participation. 

“This grant will allow us to develop and launch multiple new strategies and resources to keep these students enrolled, help them graduate in less time and prepare them for success after completing their degree.”

“While we have existing programs and resources for new students as they enter UTSA, many of them have been a one-size-fits-all approach. We want to offer more tailored options that better suit the unique needs of first-generation and transfer students, who make up a large portion of our student population,” said Tammy Wyatt, UTSA senior vice provost for student success and co-principal investigator for the project.

In addition to Wyatt, UTSA One will be led by Mark Appleford, principal investigator and UTSA associate vice provost for undergraduate studies; Amy Buechler-Steubing, co-principal investigator and UTSA associate vice provost for strategic initiatives and learning innovation; and Barbara Smith, co-principal investigator and UTSA executive director for transfer and transition student services.

According to institutional data, UTSA’s six-year graduation rate has improved by 13% over the past five years for all students. However, the six-year graduation rate for full-time, first-generation Roadrunners currently falls behind non-first-generation students by 7%. Furthermore, the one-year retention rate for full-time, first-generation students is 6% lower than their peers.

“This data lets us know that while we’ve made tremendous strides in increasing overall student retention at UTSA, there is still room for improvement among our first-generation and transfer students,” said Appleford. “This grant will allow us to develop and launch multiple new strategies and resources to keep these students enrolled, help them graduate in less time and prepare them for success after completing their degree.”

To address these achievement gaps, UTSA One will implement three key solutions.

First, the initiative will introduce a team of full-time professional academic coaches to help students successfully navigate their first year of college at UTSA. Coaches will provide personalized support for students, promote their academic and personal growth, and monitor progress throughout the year with regular meetings.

Second, UTSA One will create new onboarding and orientation processes designed specifically for first-generation and transfer students, with a focus on three pathways: academic success, career exploration and readiness, and life navigation and management. These guided learning pathways will utilize Canvas and other digital tools, incorporating gamification strategies and various skill-building activities to help students create habits for success in their first year and beyond.

Finally, UTSA One will have monthly financial incentives for students who engage in coaching sessions and other career, academic and life management learning activities in the program. Students who complete all activities and coaching sessions will earn an additional $500 grant to put toward their second year at UTSA.

“Financial constraints are a huge roadblock for many students, especially those who are the first in their families to attend college,” said Buechler-Steubing. “By offering monthly stipends, we can help lessen this financial burden while also encouraging students to take advantage of new resources available through UTSA One.”

In the future, UTSA hopes to scale these practices for wider implementation and affect positive institutional change across UTSA, Northwest Vista College and The University of Texas System.  

The Postsecondary Student Success Grant is the latest example of UTSA’s commitment to becoming a model for student success, where Roadrunners of all backgrounds can achieve their academic and career goals.

This year, the university received an Eduventures Innovation Award for its Learning Innovation Initiative. In 2022, UTSA received the John N. Gardner Institutional Excellence for Students in Transition Award from the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.

The university also received a $2.4 million grant to create the López Scholars Program in 2023, which provides full tuition assistance for first-generation Latino students.

The awards recognize UTSA’s ongoing efforts to support its first-generation and transfer student populations, and to create collaborative, data-driven learning and teaching strategies that promote engagement and success for all students.

— Chloe Johnson