- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/first-generation-college-students/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:52:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to celebrate stories of first-generation students Nov. 8 /news-archive/2019/11/04/celebrate-stories-of-first-generation-students/ Mon, 04 Nov 2019 17:52:47 +0000 /news/?p=75580 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to celebrate stories of first-generation students Nov. 8]]> Disha Patel, an accounting major planning to graduate from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2022, knows how hard it is to be a first-generation college student. 鈥淥ne of the biggest struggles first generation students encounter in college is the lack of a family support system,鈥 Patel said. 鈥淏eing a first-gen can be scary, intimidating, and confusing because you are like a pioneer, going somewhere with no guide and finding your own way.鈥 Nearly 40 percent of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students identify as first-generation, which means that their parents/guardians did not graduate from college. The campus community will celebrate the stories of first-generation students in coordination with National First-Gen Day Friday, Nov. 8. The inaugural First-Generation Student Celebration Day will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the foyer of Ottenheimer Library. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to stop by for food, fun, and to share their stories as a first-generation student. First-gen students can also enter to win door prizes, including:
  • An opportunity to grab coffee with the Chancellor聽
  • Two courtside seats to a Little Rock Trojan Men鈥檚 basketball game聽
  • A week of prime parking on campus聽
  • A student Alumni Association membership
  • Swag from the Campus Bookstore
Little Rock students, faculty, and staff who are first-generation students are welcome to share their 聽story here. Current submissions can be viewed on.听 Patel, one of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students who shared her story, is grateful for the opportunity to earn a college degree. 鈥淵ou may be the first from your family to go to college, and you may have to figure out the whole college system on your own, but it is so worth it!鈥 Patel said. 鈥淐ollege is fascinating. You can learn about any subject that interests you.鈥 For more information, please email Heather Reed at hareed@ualr.edu.]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties /news-archive/2017/01/31/ua-five-year-3-75-million-low-income-students-pulaski-jefferson-counties/ Tue, 31 Jan 2017 20:50:18 +0000 /news/?p=66193 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock receives five-year grants worth more than $3.75 million to help low-income students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received two five-year grants totaling more than $3.75 million to fund college readiness programs for low-income and first-generation college students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties.听 The U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Federal TRIO Program awarded the grants totaling $3,762,035 to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program. The grants will help more than 1,500 middle school and high school students successfully graduate high school and prepare for college. The first grant, which serves 1,068 students in Pulaski and Jefferson counties, funds $512,408 annually for five years, totaling $2,562,040. The second grant, which serves 500 students in north Pulaski County, awards $239,999 annually for five years, totaling $1,199,995. The grants will provide funding for the 2016-17 to the 2020-21 academic years. 鈥淏y hosting the TRIO Talent Search grants, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock continues to demonstrate a long-standing commitment to the central Arkansas community by making its resources available to those persons who face social and cultural barriers in educational attainment,鈥 said Linda Barker, director of the TRIO Educational Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center programs. Talent Search, one of eight programs collectively known as the , is uniquely designed for students traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, including first-generation college students and other at-risk youth. The Talent Search Program will provide a comprehensive plan of activities for each participating student that identifies and explores future academic and career aspirations and provides plans for financial assistance, financial planning, and opportunities for engagement to bolster postsecondary enrollment.
Linda Barker

Linda Barker

Recent Census Bureau data shows the great need for the TRIO Talent Search Program in these target areas. In Jefferson and Pulaski counties, 48.3 percent of families in the first target area are considered low-income, while the national average is 17.8 percent. Additionally, 76 percent of students in the target school districts participate in free and reduced lunch programs. In the north Pulaski County target area, 47 percent of families are considered low-income, and 64 percent of students participate in free and reduced lunch programs. On the academic side, only 26 percent of students in Jefferson and Pulaski counties are taking advanced placement courses. In the north Pulaski County target area, only 14 percent of students are taking advanced placement courses. In both target areas, post-secondary enrollment rates are lower than the state and national rates. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search Program will identify students who need these services and assist in removing barriers that prevent them from obtaining a post-secondary degree. TRIO will provide a variety of higher education access workshops and activities to middle and high school students in the target schools. The activities include admission and financial aid workshops, student achievement assessments, access to online tutoring programs, and college campus tours as well as leadership and motivational sessions. Participants in the program will be chosen based on target search requirements along with recommendations from target school officials. In the upper right photo, members of the 糖心Vlog传媒聽Little Rock TRIO Educational Talent Search program staff include: Back row (left to right) Crystin Amato, Michita Merriweather, Rachel Vanveckhoven, Elena Maina, Billy Huggins, and Jermaine Rudd. Front row (left to right): Brandon Scaife, Sandra Carmona Garcia, Linda Barker, and Shanikia Williams.]]>