Cong. Cuellar Provides Nearly $31M in Good News for TAMIU, Students
Congressman Henry Cuellar (MBA, ’82), a Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) alum, visited the campus Friday bringing some good news for the University and its students. It’s the kind of good news that represents millions invested in TAMIU and its students… nearly $31 million in new funding for this 2021 academic year. The main funding sources are the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), among others.
The total funding awarded is $30,799,805. It includes $29,210,965 in American Rescue Plan funds; $1,399,543 for TAMIU’s Advanced Nurse Education-Sexual Nurse Assault Examiner program (ANE-SANE) and $249,297 for open educational resources through the University’s Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library.
This new assistance funds emergency aid grants to students (CARES) and the University’s free course materials pilot program, “TAMIU Books IncludED.” Additional federal funding supports the continuance of a program dedicated to certifying much-needed sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), research into the study of Hispanic adults, age and fitness levels, and a program seeking to leverage open educational resources (OER) to further keep student course costs down.
Congressman Cuellar said the University is deserving of the federal support.
“TAMIU is an exceptional university that deserves the utmost support from the federal government. This funding, awarded today, is proof that all students and researchers have the opportunity to receive a world-class education with the appropriate resources,” said Congressman Cuellar, “As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support grant applications for institutions like TAMIU in order to make higher education and research opportunities accessible to all.”
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said that good news is always welcome at TAMIU, especially when delivered by an alum and advocate like Cong. Cuellar.
“We are deeply appreciative of the assistance, guidance, and partnership that Cong. Cuellar always provides this University and all of higher education. He has a real vision and personal commitment to the power of higher education. Most importantly, he is committed to ensuring that power is strengthened right here at home,” Dr. Arenaz said.
The University will be awarding over $14 million in new student emergency grants over this new academic year, with over $7 million available this Fall. That is on top of over $9 million in previous student grant assistance provided via CARES and CRRSAA funding last year.
Arenaz said he hopes that students, potential students, and their families all see the tremendous opportunity the $14 million ARP emergency funding represents.
“I have been a part of higher education my entire career. At no other time in our history has so much assistance been made possible for students. Having these grants available to them, at no cost, can fundamentally change lives and ensure the brightest possible future for our TAMIU students. I hope all take this to heart,” he explained.
Cong. Cuellar also brought news of additional federal funding providing a $1.3 million grant continuance to help TAMIU’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Dr. F. M. Canseco School of Nursing recruit 36 certified SANE nurses for pediatric patients, said Dr. Marivic Torregosa, dean of the College.
“This HHS grant continuance allows us to expand on our successful legacy with the program, first funded in 2018. To date, we’ve certified 35 local nurses as SANE for adults and adolescents. We’ll be recertifying them, expanding to include our 36 pediatric SANE and also establishing a community-based Sexual Assault Response Team. The need for SANE nurses in our city and region is critical,” Dr. Torregosa explained.
The final grant is a federal three-year grant of $249,297 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awards a National Leadership Grant to TAMIU’s Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library. The Grant is titled “Leveraging Open Educational Resources to Break Down Barriers to a College Education.”
TAMIU Library director Ben Rawlins is project director for the Grant and hopes it offers a model for others to emulate.
“This project seeks to serve as a culturally and academically relevant model for other Hispanic-serving institutions like TAMIU. Our goals are to increase the adoption, adaptation, and creation of OER; connect faculty, staff, librarians, and administrators through workshops and professional development opportunities, and conduct research on the impact of course material costs on Hispanic students,” Rawlins explained.
The IMLS is an independent federal agency providing library grants, museum grants, policy development, and research. In 2020, it awarded $280.6 million through grantmaking, research, and policy development to advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations.
TAMIU CARES Applications for students enrolled during the Fall 2021 semester open the week of Aug. 9. The application window will close Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 3 p.m.
Eligible undergraduate and graduate students can access the application by visiting www.tamiu.edu/cares. Late submissions or re-submissions are not permitted.
TAMIU’s Fall 2021 Registration is now underway. For detailed registration information, visit go.tamiu.edu/registration21
TAMIU’s Fall 2021 plans are focused on a return to a full and vibrant on-campus experience for all students, faculty, and staff at its 300-acre northeast Laredo campus. Classes begin Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.
For more information, contact the Office of the University Registrar at 956.326.2250, email registrar@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the University Success Center, suite 121.
