Since its launch in January 2020, the success initiative UT For Me has served over 7,000 Pell-eligible first-time undergraduate students and will graduate its first cohort in spring 2024.

UT for Me was created to increase six-year graduation rates for Pell grant-eligible students at the University, said program director KJ Harris. She said the team works to personalize the college experience for students and help them build a sense of community during their time at UT.

“UT is such a huge institution and can feel very daunting and impersonal for students a lot of the time,” student program coordinator Hazel Alexander said. “We’re here to remove those things from their way. We’re here to cut through all these different barriers and really help students navigate how huge and complicated UT is.”

The program also looks to help students prepare for life post-graduation, said Judson Hayden, program graduate research assistant.

“Previously it’s been there to make sure students have the current resources that they need in order to thrive if you’re on campus,” Hayden said.

“Where I think that this program is headed is making sure we’re just getting our students more prepared for the workforce.”

Harris said the program aims to support the first student cohort in their third year as they approach graduation.

“Like partnerships with Texas Career Engagement or looking into how we can support them in undergraduate research,” said Harris. “All of those outside of the classroom experiences are what we’re trying to pull in and introduce our students to if they’re not familiar already.”

Harris said the program is looking to the future and the impact it will have on the University community.

“We can really drive the campus forward in terms of not only support for Pell-eligible students, but for students in general because the Pell population for first-time college students is about 25% to 28%,” Harris said. “Anything that we do, any strides that we make, are going to be positive changes.”