Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement
Local governments can invest in this strategy using State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
- This strategy can help address educational disparities. The U.S. Department of Treasury has indicated that strategies that help achieve this outcome are eligible for the use of Fiscal Recovery Funds.
Investments in this strategy are SLFRF-eligible as long as they are made in qualified census tracts or are designed to assist populations or communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Program basics
- Individualized coaching for low-income students to review financial need and academic and employment goals
- Academic instruction for 16 weeks teaching skills in math, reading and writing
- Mandatory weekly group or individual counseling
- Financial assistance for college entrance exam testing, tuition, course-related expenses, transportation, and childcare related to attending school
- Information on in-demand jobs in the area
Strength of evidence
Evidence level: Promising (Third-highest tier)
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Promising (Third-highest tier)
Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement is not yet in any of the major clearinghouses but has demonstrated positive results in an independent, high-quality evaluation conducted by ____
Target population
Students enrolled in post-secondary education
Program cost
Approximately $13,750 per participant over an average of two and a half years
Implementation locations
- Texas
Dates active
1995–Present
Outcomes and impact
- Indeterminate effect on GPA, enrollment, and credit accumulation
Keys to successful implementation
- Note: This content is under review.
- Project necessary funding and identify funding sources for each new participant prior to enrollment.
- Provide frequent (weekly) job counseling and make it mandatory for participants, including tracking attendance and withholding tuition assistance if necessary.
- Plan to offset costs associated with enrolling in fulltime job training, including childcare and transportation.
- Clearly articulate expectations to each potential participant before enrollment, given the program is a significant commitment. VIDA’s standards include: maintaining full-time enrollment in training, achieving passing grades, and participating in weekly counseling sessions.
- Frame financial support as an incentive to participate, rather than as the service itself. This is key for both attracting and retaining participants.
- Commit to providing financial assistance for the entirety of a participant’s enrollment in the program, giving them certainty around their future ability to afford participation.
- Offer financial assistance and counseling as a package, rather than as independent services. They are mutually-reinforcing components of a successful program – even though participants may more readily embrace the financial element.
