Congressman Rubén Hinojosa Joins Valley Scholarship Programs To Kick Off SOS Initiative

Edinburg, Texas - U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) along with Texas Valley Communities Foundation (TVCOF) and its ENCORE Program kicked off the Sign On for Scholarships (SOS) initiative Monday, March 1, 2010 at the TVCOF offices.

SOS is a program that alerts students about upcoming deadlines to complete their applications for federal financial aid and other scholarship opportunities for college entrance.

"Throughout my entire Congressional career, I have dedicated my time and effort to making higher education more accessible and affordable for our students", said Hinojosa.

Educational programs participating are Gear Up, VAMOS, STARS and ENCORE. These educational programs are joining forces in order to get the word out to students and their parents on what scholastic opportunities are available.

Hinojosa added, "Making sure students know where to go and who to talk to about finding ways to get into college is so important. "Our students cannot afford anymore missed opportunities to receive a higher education".

During the event, representatives of STARS, VAMOS and Edinburg CISD talked to students and parents about scholarship opportunities and financial aid programs including the application requirements and submission deadlines.

The SOS initiative event will be part of the agenda for the ENCORE Coalition for College Readiness to ensure all students and parents are aware of all available funding opportunities to obtain a college education.

For more information, please contact Ernesto Villarreal at 956-618-2828 or via email at evillarreal@tvcof.org.