Thursday, 04 14 2022

 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board provides grant funding for Texas A&M-San Antonio internships 

SAN ANTONIO – Texas A&M University – San Antonio has been awarded $55,200 from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to support internship opportunities at the University. The funds will go toward the Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement’s Summer PAID: Pay Assistance for Internship Discovery program and will benefit students who have secured a summer internship that is unpaid as well as those still seeking an opportunity. 

“We are thrilled for this opportunity to support Texas A&M University-San Antonio students in internships this summer, allowing more students to participate in valuable work-based learning while still earning a wage to support their living expenses and families,” said Krystina Irvin, Director of Experiential Learning at Texas A&M – San Antonio. 

“Greater access to diverse internship opportunities increases the rate at which recent graduates are able to secure employment in their chosen career field, and even boosts the starting salary of recent graduates,” Irvin continued. 

THECB awarded a total of $4.8 million of grant funding to 23 Texas higher education institutions, including Texas A&M-San Antonio. The grants are designed to help Texas college students access internship and apprenticeship opportunities to strengthen the education to workforce pipeline, drive student opportunity, and advance the state’s economic competitiveness. The awards are part of two programs: the Work-based Learning Opportunity Grants – Internships and Work-based Learning Opportunity Grants – Apprenticeships, which are supported by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funding. 

The Mays Center for Experiential Learning and Community Engagement provides enhanced learning opportunities and access to resources and relationships in order to develop students into career-ready and community-minded graduates. The Mays Center helps to provide internship opportunities that provide experiential learning, integrating knowledge and theory learned academically with practical application and skills development in professional settings. Through internships, students gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths and allow employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent. 

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 About Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, the University offers 33 undergraduate degrees and 16 graduate degrees to nearly 7,000 students. A&M-San Antonio is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. The University holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation and is one of only 24 higher education institutions in the U.S. to have received the Seal of Excelencia certification from Excelencia in Education for its support of Latino student success. More than 75 percent of A&M-SA students identify as Hispanic, and 73 percent are the first in their family to attend college. A&M-San Antonio is a military-embracing institution; in 2020, Military Times ranked the University No. 35 in the nation for “Best for Vets: Colleges.” Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission  

About Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

The mission of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is to serve as a resource, partner, and advocate for Texas higher education, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader. The agency works to support the state’s higher education goals, found in Texas’ strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong Texas. THECB can be found online at highered.texas.gov.