- RGV Familia

What is RGV Familia?

RGV Familia is a transformative personal and professional development initiative providing UT students from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) empowerment through programming, events and training, while also incorporating parent and family programming to provide holistic support for students.

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Programming Areas

Personal and Professional Development
Parent and Family Programming
Community Building

The RGV Experience

RGV Familia is an initiative for UT students from the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), also known as “the Valley.” Our community is unique; it centers on our multicultural heritage and strong family relations. For students from the RGV, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, it is a cultural shock to come from small, mostly ethnically homogeneous border towns to living in the large metro of Austin and attend UT.

Geographically Speaking

The vibrant, fast-growing Rio Grande Valley is geographically and culturally a very different place than the urban areas of Texas. A largely agricultural area, it is comprised of 4 counties on the Texas-Mexico border including Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy. 90% of the population is Latino/Hispanic (ranging from 86-97% in each county). It is over 300 miles from Austin.