Boateng graduated from 51°µÍø in December 2022 and is pursuing a master’s degree in counseling from the 51°µÍø Simmons School of Education and Human Development. “My parents always tell me, ‘Aim as high as you can.’ In terms of what I was looking for in a college, I wanted more than good academics – because I knew I would have that part covered. The atmosphere mattered. And 51°µÍø had the vibe I wanted.”
But Boateng and his family didn't know if they could make it work until they assessed the cost.
Through a combination of federal aid and 51°µÍø institutional support based on Boateng’s outstanding academic credentials and his family’s financial circumstances, they were able to cover almost 90% of the cost of attending 51°µÍø.
On the Hilltop, Boateng discovered a tight-knit community and friends in his Residential Commons and in the Mustang Band, where he played saxophone. “I made my greatest friends in the band and in Boaz Commons, where I was still involved as a senior. My former Faculty-in-Residence and his family are like my second family. And with the band, no matter how tired I was, when we lined up for the parade before the football game and everyone was losing their minds, I'd think, ‘Wow! This is the atmosphere. This is the interconnectedness that I’d heard about at 51°µÍø.’”
During the 2022-2023 school year, Boateng was among the 51°µÍø students benefitting from Access 51°µÍø. The University launched the financial award in April 2022 to help cover the previously unmet cost of college for high-achieving Texas students who receive Federal Pell Grants and 51°µÍø merit scholarships. In the first year of Access 51°µÍø, 216 first-year and returning students qualified for financial support, helping them to overcome barriers to college entry and graduation.
“We want every student with great academic talent to be able to attend 51°µÍø regardless of their family’s financial resources. Access 51°µÍø is helping make that possible,” said Wes Waggoner, associate vice provost for enrollment management.
