San Antonio Educational Opportunities Committee Meeting - March 17, 2026

The Educational Opportunities Committee of the San Antonio City Council met on March 17, 2026, at 10:03 AM. The meeting focused on updates regarding the Ambassador Program, Café College, Alamo Promise, Bold Promise (UTSA), and Jaguar Promise (Texas A&M San Antonio). Council members discussed program metrics, demographic data, and the potential for expanding youth opportunities. The meeting concluded at 12:30 PM.

Consent Calendar

• The minutes of the previous meeting were approved by a motion, with no abstentions noted.

Discussion Items

Ambassador Program Update (Item 2)

• Presentation by Rebeca (DHS staff): The Ambassador Program, launched in 2004, provides paid internships for San Antonio high school graduates who have completed at least 25 college credit hours and have a 2.5 GPA. In 2025, the program received 354 applications for 200 funded slots (212 accepted due to additional funds in 2024). Employers in 2025 submitted 352 internship requests. The program budget is $83,000, with the majority going toward intern wages. Key metrics reported: 97% of interns better understood career opportunities in San Antonio; 93% felt better about their careers after the internship; 74% of alumni agreed they were more likely to consider jobs in San Antonio; 54% currently live in San Antonio. The program also reported 212 interns accepted in 2025 and 212 completed successfully.
• Presentation by Ana Cebedo (director of SAEP): The San Antonio Education Partnership (SAEP), founded in 1989, serves over 12,000 individuals annually. 96% are people of color, 78% are first-generation college students, and 76% are low- to moderate-income. SAEP provides two models: "Camino al Éxito" (pathway to success) operating in 29 high schools, and Café College, which serves both youth and adults (roughly 50/50). Café College offers one-on-one counseling, SAT sessions, and credential evaluation for foreign-educated individuals. SAEP administers $1.4 million in scholarships from the city. Metrics for 2025 showed the highest service numbers in five years. Council members discussed expanding the program to include high school students without college credit, and integrating with Ready to Work and municipal court diversion programs.
• Councilmember Munguía expressed strong support, noting that six ambassadors from District 4 now work in her office. She also shared a personal story about her sister using Café College services.
• Councilmember Cor asked about repeat ambassador metrics and the residency rate (54%) of alumni. She requested more detailed data on where former interns reside and whether they return to San Antonio after college.
• Councilmember Castillo suggested piloting a program with Ready to Work for on-the-job training, and asked for demographic data by council district.
• Councilmember Maki Rodríguez questioned how scholarships are administered across institutions and expressed concern about potential duplication with Alamo Promise. She requested data on geographic distribution of Café College clients by ZIP code.

Alamo Promise Program Update (Item 4)

• Presentation by Stefany Vásquez (Alamo Colleges director): Alamo Promise is a tuition-free college program for high school graduates in Bexar County, launched in 2019. No income or GPA requirements. In 2025, Alamo Colleges enrolled over 90,000 students a record, with 16,000 first-time freshmen (70% first-generation). The program serves over 30,000 Promise students cumulatively, with 4,000 having graduated (as of the presentation). Funding sources: $5 million from Alamo Colleges district, $4.6 million from the city, $200,000 from the Alamo Colleges Foundation, and $24—$25 million in financial aid. A study by Dr. Belinda Román (St. Mary's University) found a return of $4.22 for every $1 invested. Councilmember Cor noted a potential gap for adult students who left college and want to return; staff said they handle such cases individually.

Bold Promise (UTSA) Update (Item 5)

• Presentation by Eric Cooper (UTSA staff): Bold Promise covers tuition and fees for families earning $100,000 or less (expanded from $50,000 in 2020). As of spring 2026, 5,570 students enrolled in the program. Demographics: 68% first-generation; 5% higher retention rate than non–Bold Promise students; 7% higher four-year graduation rate; average GPA above 3.0; students borrow $1,400 less than the average. Cooper also highlighted collaborations with Café College and SA ID for FAFSA completion.

Jaguar Promise (Texas A&M San Antonio) Update (Item 6)

• Presentation by Vanessa Torres (associate VP): Jaguar Promise covers tuition and fees for Texas residents graduating in the top 10% of their high school class (no income limit) and for transfer students from Alamo Colleges with family income below $70,000. Students receive an additional $300 for personal expenses. Since 2020, enrollment has increased 108%. Retention rates: 93% for Promise students vs. 86% for the general population. Torres also highlighted summer bridge programs and the "Promise to Promise" initiative with Alamo Colleges.

Data Integration and Future Agenda Planning

• Councilmember Cor proposed integrating data across city departments (e.g., public safety, housing, transportation) to create layered maps that show correlations between education outcomes and other factors (e.g., crime, housing instability, access to services). She suggested starting with three indicators: kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading scores, and youth opportunity.
• Councilmember Munguía agreed, but cautioned against overloading nonprofits with reporting requirements. She emphasized focusing on early childhood education and reducing barriers.
• Councilmember Maki Rodríguez requested to see three specific outcome indicators (kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading, youth opportunity) mapped by ZIP code to identify where investment is most needed.
• Councilmember Castillo supported inviting community advisory groups (e.g., Higher Education Advisory Council) to provide updates and align efforts with indirect factors like housing and transportation.
• Committee Chair summarized the consensus to focus on specific benchmarks and coordinate with the PCDC to avoid duplication. A future meeting will include more detailed data visualization.

Key Outcomes

• The committee agreed to prioritize three educational benchmarks (kindergarten readiness, third-grade reading, youth opportunity) for future data mapping and resource allocation.
• Staff will work with council offices to provide demographic data by district for the Ambassador Program and Café College.
• The Ambassador Program will explore expanding eligibility to high school students (seniors) and potential integration with municipal court diversion programs, as suggested by Councilmember Munguía.
• The committee will coordinate with the PCDC to align indirect factors (housing, transportation) with education outcomes in future presentations.
• Next steps include compiling granular data from multiple departments (public safety, housing, 3-1-1, etc.) to create visual layers that show correlations, with a timeline of several months.