Grant to Fund High School Outreach

UT Dallas has received $100,000 to support the statewide Closing the Gaps higher education program, which helps to increase the number of underrepresented minorities enrolled in colleges and universities.

The Go Center Mentor Grant will go toward hiring 10 UT Dallas students, who will serve as mentors to students at three Dallas-area high schools.

“The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has provided universities with this funding opportunity to help us reach out to the community,” said Raul Hinojosa, community engagement director for the university.

The UT Dallas mentors will work with students at Conrad High School, Hillcrest High School and the Roseland Community Teen University. The mentors will help the students research different colleges and universities, complete admissions and financial aid applications, plan and write admissions essays, and exploring possible careers and their education requirements. The students will also give advice from their own experiences at UT Dallas.

Working together with the Office of Sponsored Projects, Dallas ISD and Central Dallas Ministries, the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement put together the proposal for the grant. UT Dallas is one of 32 Texas universities to receive funding for the program out of the $5 million the state has designated for the Closing the Gaps program.