Scholarship fund to help offer UHV dual-credit program at Cuero High
Cuero High School teachers interested in teaching University of Houston-Victoria dual-credit courses now have the opportunity for required UHV graduate courses to be paid for by the Cuero Community Foundation.
The foundation recently made a $5,600 donation to a teacher preparation scholarship fund to help Cuero High School teachers meet graduate credit requirements to teach UHV dual-credit courses, beginning this academic year. All UHV dual-credit teachers must meet minimum adjunct requirements to teach dual-credit courses, including having a graduate degree. Instructors also are required to have 18 graduate credit hours in the field they are wanting to teach dual credit.
The new scholarship also will help Cuero High School students begin their postsecondary education before they graduate, said Debra Baros, vice president and secretary of the Cuero Community Foundation and member of the UHV President’s Regional Advisory Board.
“Education is one of the Cuero Community Foundation’s major goals and missions,” Baros said. “As a foundation, we are committed to making a positive impact through intentional partnerships as this. Once students earn university credit in high school, research shows that these students are more likely to attain a college degree. With all of us working together, we can make a big difference in our community’s most valuable resource – our children.”
The scholarship fund also addresses a critical need for Cuero High School students who otherwise might not be able to commute from Cuero to Victoria to take dual-credit courses at UHV, said Jesse Pisors, UHV vice president for advancement and external relations. Cuero High School teachers who become certified to teach dual-credit classes will be able to teach the classes at the high school. By creating a scholarship fund for teachers, many students will benefit for years to come, and Cuero High School teachers will enhance their level of preparation and skills.
“By creating this fund for teachers, dozens or even hundreds of Cuero High School students will be able to receive college credits through UHV while still in high school,” Pisors said. “UHV is grateful that the Cuero Community Foundation will help Cuero teachers become certified UHV dual-credit teachers, and we are excited for the future of this new partnership in Cuero.”
UHV is offering five core courses, including college algebra and government, for dual credit this academic year, said Crystal Rocha, manager of educational partnerships at UHV. There are 32 students enrolled in the UHV/Cuero High School dual-credit program this year.
Cuero Independent School District Superintendent Micah Dyer said the new partnership with UHV is a great opportunity for both Cuero teachers and students.
“We greatly appreciate everything the Cuero Community Foundation does to help make Cuero High School better and stronger,” Dyer said. “This scholarship makes it easier to teach our students college courses in house. Some of the students enrolled in dual credit are the first in their families to take college courses, so this is a great deal for our students and community.”
Cuero teachers who are interested in teaching UHV dual-credit courses and would like to apply for the scholarship can complete an application for UHV at www.applytexas.org and then register for courses at UHV. Teachers will then need to complete a UHV scholarship application at uhv.academicworks.com.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
