Program Descriptions

• College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) is a federally-funded program designed to meet the special educational needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers in pursuing higher education. CAMP provides outreach, recruitment, academic, supportive and financial assistance to migrant and seasonal farmworkers to help them successfully complete the first academic year of college and to continue in postsecondary education. Additional services include academic advising, monthly stipend, tutoring, personal counseling, career development, life management skills development, and educational/cultural trips. The program serves 70 students each academic year.
  • Associate Director: Jaime Miranda
  • Office:Learning Assistance Center 156
  • Phone: 956/318-5333

• Educational Talent Search (ETS) is a federally-funded early intervention outreach program which serves participants in grades 6 through 12. The program’s objective is to assist participants in the acquisition of skills that will prepare them for entry into the college of their choice. Participants receive a variety of services which include, but are not limited to: counseling; academic advisement; assistance with financial aid and admissions; study skills, career exploration, interest inventories; visits to post secondary institutions and job sites. The program serves 812 students each academic year from 14 target schools.
  • Director: Sonia Del Angel
  • Office: UTPA Annex 182
  • Phone: 956/292-7590

• High School Equivalency Program (HEP) is a federally-funded program offering preparatory classes, testing, and placement in employment or postsecondary education for migrant or seasonal farmworkers who dropped out of high school and wish to acquire a GED. The program serves 125 students each academic year.
  • Director: Sofia Piña
  • Office: Emilia Hall 2.207
  • Phone: 956/381-2521

• Tech Prep First Generation Student Program assists first-generation UTPA freshmen and sophomores with college transition support and referral services. The aim of the program is to insure students are successfully retained in college while confirming their career choices through paid internships in their declared majors.
  • Office: Van Week Office Building
  • Phone: 956/381-2522

• Texas Pre-freshman Engineering Program (TexPREP) identifies high achieving middle and high school students with the potential and interest in becoming engineers and scientists to guide them toward acquiring the knowledge and skills required for success in their professional aspirations. The program offers a three year curriculum and is conducted for seven weeks during the summer with additional Saturday sessions during the academic year. The program serves between 150 and 235 students each academic year.
  • Director: Dr. Stephen Crown
  • Office: Lamar Building
  • Phone: 956/381-3634

• Upward Bound is a federally funded academic enhancement program designed to assist first generation or low income high school students in developing their potential for success in a post-secondary institution through classroom instruction during the academic year and a six week summer component on the UTPA campus. The program serves 150 students each academic year from six target high schools.
  • Director: Manuel Ochoa
  • Office: Emilia Hall 2.202
  • Phone: 956/381-2596

• Upward Bound Math and Science is a federally funded academic enhancement program designed to encourage first generation or low income high school students to pursue studies and careers in mathematics, science, and engineering through classroom instruction and research mentorships under faculty and graduate students during a six week summer component on the UTPA campus, supplemented by advisement and college success skills sessions during the academic year. The program serves 50 students each academic year from three target high schools.
  • Associate Director: Juan Carlos Garcia
  • Office: Lamar West 115
  • Phone: 956/380-8703

• Valley Outreach Center provides outreach services in support of the “Closing the Gaps” and “College for Texans” initiatives.Efforts are clustered around four principal services:
  • Interim Director: Petra Lopez-vaquera
  • Office: UTPA Annex 182A
  • Phone: 956/292-7597
  • Mother Daughter Program provides an intervention program for young women in 7th-8th grades, and their mothers. The program encourages and supports completion of high school and the pursuit of a higher education, while preparing students and mothers to reach out to peers with college access information through participation in High School GO Centers.
  • UTPA “GO Center” Resource Center & G-Force offers support and training services to RGV High School and community-based GO Centers, operates a GO Center for use by community members, and facilitates services of the UTPA G-Force at RGV schools and other venues in the community.
  • University Interscholastic League Resource Center develops and facilitates services to support and enhance the efforts of UIL coordinators, coaches and participants
  • Pre-College Academic Programs works with UTPA academic departments to develop and seek funding for academic enrichment programs for pre-college age youth; and, promotes pre-college academic programs, registers participants, and coordinates student life services associated with the programs.