Austin Community College’s new, all-inclusive scholarship program supports students focused on starting …
Austin Community College’s new, all-inclusive scholarship program supports students focused on starting a career immediately after ACC. Career Scholars receive financial and academic support while working toward a certificate or associate degree in an approved area of study. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and fees — for a total of $5,000 disbursed over a period of up to 3 years — and ensures recipients have the guidance and support they need to reach their goals. Career Scholars builds holistic support services around the students, with rich career service resources and academic support in an effort to 1) alleviate financial barriers that often prevent underserved student populations from attaining a higher ed credential; 2) support students academically while enhancing their career skills, and 3) give students exposure to potential internships with industry partners in their area of study. The unique Career Scholars program serves two categories of students: graduating high school seniors and current ACC adult learners. Participants in the High School Career Scholars program work toward a certificate or associate degree in a field that was identified by the Texas Workforce Commission as having high demand and earning potential. These fields are: Arts, Digital Media & Communications; Business; Computer Sciences, Information Technology, Engineering; Education; Health Care; Manufacturing/Skilled Trades; Public & Social Services. The Career Scholars Program for adults is open to adult learners interested in the following career areas, which have strong hiring and salary opportunities: Accounting/Bookkeeping; Computer Sciences; Health Care; Manufacturing; and Applied Tech/Skilled Trades.
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.
PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 282
HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program
WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://www.austincc.edu/students/career-scholars
EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes have been internally collected in the past
PRELIMINARY OUTCOMES DATA: Approximately 87% of students in the Fall 2021 Adult Career Scholars cohort and 80% of students in the High School Career Scholars cohort persisted to Spring 2022 or graduated, compared to the ACC district average of 73% among first time in college students.
DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Affairs
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Kathy James at kjames@austincc.edu or 512-223-7327
The Ascender program began at Austin Community College in 2015. The mission …
The Ascender program began at Austin Community College in 2015. The mission of the program is to increase the educational attainment of Latinx students and other underserved communities in order to close equity gaps. That is, the Ascender program seeks to move ACC from a Hispanic serving institution to a Hispanic graduating institution by accelerating Latinx students, who are overrepresented in developmental education, to college-level coursework, and providing a structure of support to increase persistence and graduation. Ascender provides students with the academic, social, and leadership opportunities they need to graduate from community college, transfer and earn bachelor's degrees, and return to the community as leaders and mentors. The Ascender program is structured as a first-year experience program that provides wrap-around services including academic, student success, and community engagement components. Familia is at the heart of each component of the program. For instance, students move through their coursework as a learning community, developing affective and social bonds that ease their transition to college. In addition to the learning communities that provide support in academic coursework, Ascender hosts events, such as the Noche de Familia (family night), field trips to colleges/universities, motivational conferences, and other cultural events to further cohere the sense of belonging students feel at ACC. Because many Ascender students are first-generation college students, Ascender provides one-on-one mentoring through a volunteer mentoring program designed to introduce students to a network of role models and coaches that helps guide their first-year college experience. The network of Ascender mentors helps to facilitate greater navigation of sometimes challenging institutional structures.
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.
PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 132
HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program
WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://www.austincc.edu/ascender
EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally collected
DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Affairs
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Alejandra Polcik at amarti11@austincc.edu or 512-223-1418
Career Academy is a dual credit workforce program in a high demand …
Career Academy is a dual credit workforce program in a high demand career that leads to a college level 1 certificate while in high school or the summer immediately following high school graduation. Austin Community College offers five Career Academies to help you land an in-demand job as soon as possible in the field of construction, education, manufacturing, health sciences, or IT. Career Academy classes are intended for workforce entry, not university transfer. However, some credits may be applied toward an associate degree. Tuition and fees are waived for participating in-district students. Out-of-district students qualify for significant discounts and pay just $150 per course. These discounts are good for up to 12 courses, after which regular tuition and fees are assessed for both groups. Classes are taught by ACC faculty on ACC campuses (or virtually, when necessary).
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is in-person only.
PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 100
HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program
DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Office of College and High School Relations
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Mison Zuniga at mzuniga@austincc.edu or 511-223-7679
ACC makes childcare scholarships available to low-income student parents. The core features …
ACC makes childcare scholarships available to low-income student parents. The core features of the childcare scholarship program are 1) case management and 2) parent choice. Students who accept a childcare scholarship must agree to participate in intensive case management with a Student Advocate to help with clarity of goals and decisionmaking, referrals to additional supports and on-going problem-solving and personal support. Students who receive the scholarship may select the childcare provider of their choice. ACC arranges for payment directly with the provider. Students must pay the difference between the amount of their scholarship and the total cost of care charged by the provider. The goals of the childcare scholarships are 1) to improve the semester to semester persistence rates of student parents and 2) to improve the graduation rates of student parents. Funding for the program come from ACC's Perkins grant and from institutional sources.
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program has a hybrid format.
PROGRAM SCALE: Medium-scale (reaches between 10 and 25 percent of its target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 156
HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program
WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://www.austincc.edu/students/child-care
EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes are currently being internally collected
DEPARTMENT(S) OVERSEEING PROGRAM: Student Accessibility & Social Support Resources
CONTACT FOR MORE INFO: Steve Christopher at schris@austincc.edu or 512-223-7664
The Rainy Day Savings Program is designed to help students set aside …
The Rainy Day Savings Program is designed to help students set aside $500+ within one academic year for a financial emergency. Students open a savings account at our partner credit union and earn up to $100 in cash deposits for doing things like completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meeting with a financial coach. Money in the account can be used for a financial emergency as defined by the individual student. The account is intended to be an easy-to-access quick source of cash when a student experiences a financial emergency. Besides being prepared for a financial emergency, students gain first-hand experience managing a bank account, setting savings goals, and budgeting. The program is open to degree-seeking students enrolled in 6+ credit hours in the semester of program application and who intend to enroll in 6+ credit hours in the subsequent semester. Targeted outreach is conducted to engage students who are Pell and work-study eligible (however, eligiblity for these two forms of financial aid is not a requirement of participation).
DELIVERY FORMAT: The program is online only.
PROGRAM SCALE: Small-scale (reaches fewer than 10 percent of its target population)
APPROXIMATE PARTICIPANTS SERVED IN 2021-22: 277
HOW TO ENROLL: Participants must apply to enroll in this program
WEBSITE TO APPLY: https://sites.austincc.edu/money/rainyday/
EVALUATION STATUS: Data related to program outcomes have been internally and externally collected in the past
PRELIMINARY OUTCOMES DATA: An evaluation of the first year of the Rainy Day Saving Programs found that program participants grew their savings by an average of $449. The evaulation also suggested significant program impacts on fall-to-spring retention for Hispanic students and students with jobs, and credential attainment for female students.
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