EDA SCHOLARSHIPS BENEFIT STUDENTS
MISSION, TEXAS – December 5, 2018 – The Mission Economic Development Authority has funded some 357 student scholarships at South Texas College worth nearly $631,000 from the Fall semester of 2013 to the Spring semester of 2018.
Designated for students from the City of Mission, the Mission EDA Scholarship Fund was established to offer scholarships to deserving students from the city to pursue a degree or certificate from South Texas College. The scholarships are based on enrollment and max out at $3,200 overall or $800 per semester.
The Mission EDA Scholarship Fund at STC was developed in 2012 as a $3 million scholarship fund created by the City of Mission, the Mission EDC, and the Mission EDA as a collaboration to support higher education enrollment for students that reside in the City of Mission.
In the first five years of the program, the scholarship fund has received $889,071 in interest from the $3 million investment. Through the Spring semester 2018, $631,200 has been disbursed to Mission students – an average of $126,240 and 107 students per academic year, according to STC.
Also, over the five-year period, 93 percent of the scholarship recipients have posted GPAs from 2.6 to 4.0, and 137 of the students were men and 220 were women. Their majors ranged across the board, and last academic year (2017-2018) 41 students were working on bachelor’s degrees in IT, Technology Management, Medical & Health Services and Organizational Leadership, according to STC.
“We are dedicated to creating a workforce with 21st Century skills so if we can help provide a pathway for Mission students to acquire the skills and education needed by funding scholarships. It’s a win-win,” said Daniel Silva, Mission EDC CEO. “Education and talent are the biggest drivers for companies selecting sites to expand and create jobs. The Mission EDA Scholarship Fund is another way we can develop talent be competitive moving forward.”
Mission students can qualify for a scholarship if they are
- S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551
- Have a permanent residence in the City of Mission at the time of the application and for 2 or more consecutive years prior to submitting the application and remain a resident while STC
- Have completed a high school diploma or its equivalent before submitting the application
- Have earned at least 6 credit hours with a 2.5 cumulative institutional GPA
For complete information https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/scholarships/meda.html, or call South Texas College at 956.872.8375.
Media contact: Teclo J. Garcia at the Mission EDC, tgarcia@missionedc.com.
