Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement
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.
