The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College
Career Center
www.utb.edu
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23,62008
Making Dreams a Reality
Imagine College!
Program
Covers all tuition and fees
To qualify, a student must
meet the following criteria:
· Be a first-time, full-time freshman
· Texas resident
· Total family income of $25,000 or less while recipient of program
· Must be Pell Grant eligible each academic year
· Must complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
· Must earn 30 credit hours per academic year and maintain
a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0
For more information on the program and
other criteria or how you can apply, contact
UTB/TSC Office of Financial Aid at
(956) 882-7585.
Financial Aid Checklist
Applying for
Financial Aid:
1. Apply for financial aid using Free
Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) online in order to apply for
federal and state grant, work-study, and
loan programs (www.fasfa.ed.gov).
Parents and students should apply for
pin number at www.pin.ed.gov.
MyUTBTSC Blackboard is the Internet-based platform that university students, faculty and staff use for online learning. The online learning
platform is one of the most sophisticated ones in the world, which includes tutoring services, a virtual hard drive and other tools.
UTB/TSC’s online courses make it possible
for mother of three to complete degree
M
elissa M. Gonzalez never had to
worry about looking for a parking
space and being late to class. She earned her
bachelor’s degree from the convenience of
her home, learning from her professors via
the Internet.
Gonzalez graduated from The University
of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost
College in December with a Bachelor of
Applied Technology in health services
technology. It took her just shy of one year
to complete the program of study.
Gonzalez, who has three children, is
currently working toward a certificate
in e-learning through the School of
Education and the Distance Education and
Instructional Technologies Department.
“Actually, when I started (the B.A.T.
program), I was not working, and then
(when) I started working, I was able to do
both at the same time,” she said.
Gonzalez lives in Mission and says UTB/
TSC staff and faculty members were always
helpful to her while she was working on her
B.A.T. She was able to get the instruction
she needed thanks in part to the Internet,
MyUTBTSC Blackboard, e-mail and other
online learning tools.
“Even though I never saw them, they
were still very eager to help me,” Gonzalez
said. “They’ve always been there for me for
anything that I needed related to school or
even if it has to do with the classes or the
university itself.”
Gonzalez would often contact her
professors and classmates via e-mail and
through MyUTBTSC Blackboard. She
also worked through the Virtual College
of Texas, a collaborative effort of Texas
community and technical colleges that offer
distance learning courses via the Internet.
Gonzalez, mother of a 13-year-old girl,
10-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl,
admits she became attached to the B.A.T.
program and its faculty.
UTB/TSC
Career Services Events
Spring 2009
UTB/TSC Online
Programs
Graduate
• Master of Education in Educational
Technology
• Master of Business Administration
http://myutbtsc.blackboard.com
“I miss it. I loved it because it was
challenging,” she said. “I love health, and I
liked the program because of that.”
The 37-year-old began her educational
journey in 1989 at Southwest Texas
University in San Marcos, now Texas State
University. Little did she know it would
take her close to two decades to achieve her
goal of becoming a college graduate.
“I finished my associate and my two years
of basics, and I was working as respiratory
therapist,” Gonzalez said of her days at
Southwest Texas University. “I worked in
homecare, long-term rehab and a hospital
setting, but then I stopped working because
I decided to be a stay-at-home mom.”
The B.A.T. program, which was approved
by the Texas Coordinating Board in 2002,
has had 2,267 students declare it as their
major. As of December 2008, the program
has produced 268 graduates.
“The B.A.T. program is for students who
UTB/TSC and make sure all official
transcripts are sent to the Office of
Admissions. Transfers students must
request evaluation of transcripts.
3. Take the Compass/e-Write exam or
Undergraduate
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Applied Technology
•Work Force Leadership and Supervision
•Computer Information Systems Technology
•Health Services Technology
• Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences
•Interdisciplinary Subject Areas
•Applied Business Technology
2. Students must apply for admission to
other Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test.
Check with the Testing Office at (956)
882-8875.
4. Students will receive either a Student
Aid Report (SAR) or a Student Aid
Acknowledgement and must review the
information for accuracy.
5. A Financial Aid Advisor will review
Melissa M. Gonzalez, a Mission resident
and mother of three, was able to earn a
bachelor’s degree from The University
of Texas at Brownsville and Texas
Southmost College thanks to online
courses.
have completed an associate degree and
want to continue their education,” said
Dr. Peter B. Gawenda, interim dean of the
College of Applied Technology and General
Studies. “We offer four tracks, and they
are workforce leadership and supervision,
health services technology, computer
information systems technology, and those
three are online.”
Gawenda said UTB/TSC is the only
university in the state to offer three tracks
of the B.A.T. online.
Gonzalez is thankful that the courses were
made available online. She said without
them she would not have been able to earn
her degree.
the application and may need to request
additional documentation from the
student. Comply with all Financial
Aid Office requests for verification of
information.
6. Once the file is completed and cleared,
the student will receive a letter stating
his/her eligibility status and/or award
offer via e-mail.
7. Register for classes before the designated
deadlines as indicated in the course
schedule and pay balance at Business
Office before payment deadline.
Six credit hours are required for
most financial aid programs. E-mail
your Financial Aid questions to
financialaid@utb.edu.
For more information about the
B.A.T. program, call the College of
Applied Technology and General
Studies at
(956) 882-6791.
Job Fair
Career Technology Job Fair
Teacher Job Fair
For all Majors
Wednesday, Feb. 25
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Jacob Brown Auditorium
Wednesday, March 25
2 a.m. – 6 p.m.
International Technology, Education
and Commerce Center
Thursday, April 2
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Salón Cassia
Career Services
UTB/TSC
80 Fort Brown
Brownsville, TX 78520
(956) 882-5627 • (UTB-JOBS)