Texas A&M University-Kingsville

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS (News Release) - Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) received notice this week that they received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund a project that will “foster retention, persistence and completion to graduation while instilling a sense of belonging,” said Dr. Agnes Flores, executive director of Title V programs and initiatives and principal investigator for this grant.

Providing Undergraduates Resources to Advancement (PURA) Familia is a five-year grant with the university receiving $600,000 each year starting October 1, 2024, and continuing through Sept. 30, 2029, Flores said. “The PURA Familia refers to the Javelina family,” Flores said. “We will be linking with Family Weekend, hosted by Student Engagement and Campus Life (SECL), specifically working with freshmen who are from limited English or non-English speaking families. “We will provide an update for the students and their families about navigating college life and providing information that may not have been understood during Hoggie Days orientation,” she added. “The grant also has a transfer student component where we will provide information about transitioning into TAMUK and helping students navigate the resources available to them,” Flores said.

Flores said staff must be hired and the first six months will be planning and working through the grant goals and objectives. Scholarships for second- and third-year students will be based on merit and need and tablets or computers will be provided to students who cannot afford them for their course work. “All scholarships and technology will be awarded through an application process.”

The PURA Familia grant is based around two main goals to provide Hispanic and underserved students with social, emotional and academic learning opportunities and with financial and academic support.

Objectives for the first goal to provide social, emotional and academic learning opportunities are:

• to provide activities to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion for Hispanic and underserved students and their families;

• to provide activities for a holistic approach to serve transfer students;

• to increase the number of students and transfer students that participate in hands-on learning experiences to foster a sense of belonging through the TAMUK Makerspace;

• to increase the number of students who participate in undergraduate research through a faculty course redesign program; and

• to engage TAMUK faculty and staff in high-impact practices of professional development to build asset-based mindsets and the importance of the family’s role in student academic success.

Objectives for the second goal to provide financial and academic support are:

• to provide persistence scholarship assistance for sophomore and junior students returning for the fall semester;

• to provide financial assistance to meet students’ basic needs with a childcare scholarship; and

• to provide technology assistance to Hispanic and underserved students who enroll for their second year at TAMUK.