SAN ANGELO, Texas — As we get older, expenses such as bills, rent, groceries, etc., can quickly add up. For those who have children, these costs are even greater.
Thus, some adults might stray away from pursuing a higher education because of the lack of proper finances.
The Concho Valley Community Action Agency has been helping students receive scholarships, loans and other forms of assistance for the past four decades now to help them move forward in their studies.
"Our transitional poverty case management program is designed for individuals who are going back to school, that could be to get a new degree, a certificate, a license, just anything, really, where they are trying to improve their family situation," CVCAA development and assessment director Sarah Negovetich said. "And we all know that when you're an adult and you're going back to school and you have responsibilities like a family and a job it can be really hard and when the stress pours on the easiest answer is, then, to let go of that education."
Negovetich said the goal of the program is to allow students to continue their schooling with the necessary resources to graduate and succeed.
To make this possible, the CVCAA has been working closely with Howard College and the Texas Workforce Commission to help provide scholarships and loans to those whose household income is 125% below the poverty line.
Over time, Negovetich has watched her clients go from students to graduates with full-time jobs, saying, "...it's been really inspiring with me to be with folks who are overcoming and not letting those barriers get in the way and then being able to see the other side of that, what that means for their family, for their children to see that sort of grit and keep going, you know that you are breaking that generational poverty cycle."
Graduates with children can then be a source of inspiration for the younger generations, showing them it's possible to better their current situations.
The program typically assists anywhere between 10-15 individuals each year with 2023 being no exception.
Go to cvcaaforms to apply for the program or agent-of-change to make donations.
