December 14, 2023

HACU recognizes students with USAA scholarships in San Antonio

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities held a luncheon event to recognize college students receiving scholarships on December 14, 2023. A total of six students were awarded $5,000 scholarships as part of a financial education program supported by the United Services Automobile Association program (USAA).

HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores presented scholarships to three students who attended the luncheon with their family members. Students who received scholarships include:

  • Albert Alexander Mendez, Palo Alto College
  • Celeste Huerta, Palo Alto College
  • Cynthia Vega, Palo Alto College
  • Michael Bryant Cabrera, Palo Alto College
  • Samantha Alvarez Huerta, San Antonio College
  • Sandra Martinez Almanza, San Antonio College

Students awarded the scholarships were among those selected after participating in a Hispanic Financial Education and Competencies Program designed to help students and their families become better informed to plan for their financial future.

HACU partnered with six area school districts and four colleges and universities to implement the financial competency education program on their campuses. The program focused on helping both high school and college students to maneuver the complexities of financial assistance, credit worthiness, and long-term strategies to ensure their financial independence and well-being. Participating in the semester long program were approximately 1,345 elementary students, 1,210 high school students and 2,092 college students.

HACU collaborated with the following San Antonio school districts: Edgewood ISD, Harlandale ISD, South San Antonio ISD, San Antonio ISD, Southwest ISD, and Southside ISD. The program focused on helping high school students and their parents prepare for college and provided information on how to effectively manage family finances and student financial aid opportunities. High school students completing the program were eligible to apply for a scholarship to attend one of the participating colleges/universities.

College students enrolled in business courses also had the opportunity to learn about small-business management and financing to serve as a resource for the Latino family-owned small business community. The following Hispanic-Serving Institutions were among the participants of the program: Palo Alto College, San Antonio College, St. Phillips College, Our Lady of the Lake University, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The pilot program began in the spring of 2023.



  

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.

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