Whether it is local, state or federal policy, your Chamber Education/Workforce Development Council discusses and develops policy recommendations that have an impact on how our future talent is trained.  Some of the more recent issues explored by your Chamber include:

Local:

• Pre-K 4 SA and Early Education Initiatives

State:

• House Bill 5 (2013 Legislative Session)
• Texas Higher Ed. Coordinating Board, 60×30 Plan
• Texas Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative
• School Finance Changes/Improvements

Federal:

• Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act
• Every Student Succeeds Act
• Carl D. Perkins Career & Technical Education Act

The Ed Whitacre Scholarship

This prestigious scholarship was created after Ed Whitacre received the Chamber’s Pathfinder Award in 2010, as an initial grant from the General Motors Foundation. Described as “an American icon” whose life is a testimony to hard work and the American dream, Ed Whitacre sets the bar high as a world class leader and a living legend that has not only transformed business in San Antonio, but around the world. For more information on the Ed Whitacre Scholarship, please contact Priscilla D. Camacho. 

Student Aid San Antonio is the cornerstone of the city’s financial aid efforts.  Student Aid San Antonio is a unified campaign between our business leaders, K-12 partners, institutions of higher education, and community based organizations to help students and families with understanding the importance of completing the FAFSA.

Research shows that 90% of students who complete the FAFSA will enroll in post-secondary education. The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, Firstmark Credit Union, San Antonio Education Partnership, College Advising Corps, P-16 Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, SA2020, our colleges and universities, and local ISDs have joined forces to organize Student Aid San Antonio events throughout the city, year-round to boost the number of students and parents completing federal and state student financial aid applications this academic year by 5%.

Volunteers are always needed to assist out partners who host financial aid programming. Areas for volunteers to assist include greeting guests, assisting with survey completions and FAFSA and TASFA completion. No experience is necessary but volunteers will need to complete a brief in person or online training. The more volunteers recruited the more students and families that can be assisted.

Information & Documents Needed to Complete the FAFSA?

• Student’s and parents’ social security numbers
• Student’s and parents’ alien registration number if applicable
• Student’s and parents’ exact dates of birth
• Student’s and parents’ untaxed income information (e.g. child support)
• Student’s and parents’ other financial information (e.g. business net worth, farm assets, etc.)
• Your driver’s license number if you have one
• Federal tax information* or tax returns including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student:
  • IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ
  • Foreign tax return and/or
  • Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or Palau
• Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans noneducation benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student
• Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate but not including the home in which you live; and business and farm assets for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student

Other helpful resources:

• FAFSA Application
• Federal Student Aid
• Parents and Students Resources en Espanol
• TASFA Application

Many thanks to our sponsoring businesses and media partners: Firstmark Credit Union and Univision 41