UT must better support out-of-state students

Sonali Muthukrishnan, Senior Columnist
February 1, 2023

As a California student, I noticed that my transition to the Forty Acres differed from in-state students. While UT has made an effort to support out-of-state students through Longhorn Welcome events and various transition initiatives, it’s clear that the University still has room to grow. Out-of-state students at UT deserve more support in their college transition.

Currently, out-of-state students make up 10.3% of the student body. While Texas students likely have a community and an understanding of the state environment, out-of-state kids are isolated and disconnected from the network they built in high school.

Additionally, out-of-state students can feel isolated from their families.

“The hardest part when I came in as a freshman was that all my friends were in-state, and so when I was adjusting to college life and being away from home, in times where I felt a little bit homesick, my friends could easily drive home and visit their families,” said Mia Fusillo, a finance and psychology junior from New Jersey. “I think there are times where I wish I could go home.”

While Fusillo took the adjustment in stride, it was also difficult for her to get used to the Texas culture and new environment. For some students, these added challenges can make the transition to college difficult to handle alone.

UT offers a limited number of events to help out-of-state students transition to the Forty Acres. During Longhorn Welcome week, the From Tourist to Texan event is a yearly transition event that aims to connect students to Austin and the University community.

Yet, there is still more the University could do to help align out-of-state students with their peers. With a more isolating college experience than their peers, out-of-state students deserve more robust support on campus.

To help provide more support, UT’s Bevo Buddy program could pair up out-of-state students with in-state students. This would give out-of-state students a lay of the land, as well as provide a unique and helpful connection to Texas culture and traditions.

According to Kayleigh Damphousse, assistant director for Transition Initiatives, the newly-minted Bevo Buddy program currently has 339 active participants. It pairs UT student leaders with incoming students, helping students create dependable informal connections and explore the Austin area. Pairings for the program will take place this Wednesday to Feb. 12 this semester.

Damphousse said the program is already looking to pair up students through more specific identity-based connections in the future. For example, in this round of pairing, students are connected via college.

“(More specific connections are) something that we’re pursuing on multiple levels,” Damphousse said. “So that is something that we want to do for students who identify as neurodiverse or first-generation.”

Bevo Buddies could be a helpful resource to out-of-state students wanting help navigating their college transition.

“I think part of me adjusting to college here was understanding different lingo, getting used to people being so familiar with the area, not just Austin, but knowing everything about Texas,” Fusillo said. “I feel like having someone who has that knowledge and experience would definitely speed up that process.”

Giving out-of-state students a way to connect with like-minded peers through specific Bevo Buddy pairings could help ease their feelings of isolation. Additional support and connection for out-of-state students will make it easier for them to find their place on the Forty Acres.

Muthukrishnan is a government freshman from Los Gatos, California.