Students are at the midterm of a busy fall semester at the University of Alabama.
It’s an exciting time, especially for freshmen. Getting accustomed to dorm living, balancing social life and academics, managing class workload – these are ordinary activities every new student has to figure out. But adapting to life at a large university is even more challenging for some students.
Many of these UA freshmen overcame major difficulties just to get here. But the university’s REACH program offers resources and guidance to ensure they succeed.
The University of Alabama REACH Program, part of the Capstone Center for Student Success, provides services and support to current and former foster youth, legal orphans, wards of the state, current and former kinship and guardianship youth and homeless youth.
“While I had a scholarship that made entering UA possible, REACH is what kept me there,” said 2021 graduate Samantha Whitley.
The Regions Foundation recently announced a $30,000 grant to support the work of the REACH program, to help students access needed services in a supportive environment, including academic, financial, emotional and social support.
The Regions Foundation® is a nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank. Regions Foundation grants and investments to organizations create more inclusive prosperity in communities across the South, Midwest and Texas. The Regions Foundation, along with Regions Bank, focus on initiatives that advance economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness.
“We are proud to support the University of Alabama REACH program and the essential services they provide to students facing unique challenges,” said Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation.
“Many of these young people don’t have the family safety nets that most college students have, and the REACH program fills that gap. With this extra support, students are able to focus on their academic goals and enjoy the campus experience, which makes them more likely to graduate and successfully enter the workforce.”
Many of these young people don’t have the family safety nets that most college students have, and the REACH program fills that gap.
Marta Self, executive director of the Regions Foundation
The program’s relationship with Regions goes beyond the Regions Foundation grant. Regions Bank has also provided financial support to Alabama REACH and recently bank associates hosted a financial education seminar for more than 65 Alabama REACH participants. Students took part in the Regions Next Step® Reality Check program, where they were presented with real-life scenarios to help them learn to make good decisions around budgeting and spending.
Alabama REACH began in 2013 and in recent years has gained momentum, with an increased number of students participating and expanded support services. According to Shannon Hubbard, Alabama REACH program manager, they welcomed their largest incoming class ever this fall, with 51 freshmen registered. They’re serving between 130 and 140 students total in the 2024-2025 school year.
And it’s making a real difference.
“The national graduation rate for foster and homeless youth is between 2 and 9 percent,” Hubbard said. “The graduation rate for the University of Alabama REACH program is 55 percent. And we have a strong 87 percent second-year retention rate.”
According to Hubbard, the program serves students with four main areas of focus.
- Financial Support: REACH provides a $1,000 scholarship per year to each participant with the potential for another $1,000 in funding available. Emergency small-dollar funds are also available on an as-needed basis, in case a student can’t purchase a book, has a dead car battery or faces a healthcare need. Participants also have access to a supply pantry with food and snacks, household staples, cleaning supplies and personal care items.
- Emotional and Social Support: Students have a special lounge area to hang out with each other and enjoy being around other students with similar backgrounds. “The lounge gets tremendous utilization,” Hubbard said. “It’s a space of their own where they always feel like they belong and can get the peer support they need.” The students also have bi-monthly community meetings, which provide comradery as well as helpful information. The sessions cover what Hubbard calls “Adulting 101” – cooking, budgeting, financial education, tax guidance and other life lessons. They also receive advice on developing soft skills, like how to communicate with professors by email, job interview skills and basic etiquette.
- Academic Support: Participants meet twice every semester for one-on-one academic coaching. The first meeting is scheduled as classes begin, to help students figure out the logistics of their class schedule and identify potential trouble spots. The students also have the opportunity to participate in group tutoring sessions and individual meetings to address issues that may be standing in the way of their success. “Sometimes academic support means helping them manage life, such as work, childcare, mental health issues, physical issues or any outside influences that are affecting their ability to go to class or maintain their grades.”
- Mental Health Support: Alabama REACH offers group sessions on topics such as stress management, holiday grief, boundary setting and other issues that are especially relevant for this population. “Imposter syndrome is real for these students,” Hubbard said. “They don’t feel like they’re good enough to be here and often struggle with low self-esteem. Some students feel guilty because they have this opportunity that perhaps their siblings don’t have.”
“REACH helped a lot with my self-confidence,” Whitley said. “I entered the foster system when I was 13. The program connected me with other youth that faced similar issues I had, which opened the door for me to build relationships. With a little bit of support, a foster youth can do things they never thought possible.”
Whitley graduated from the university with a degree in criminal justice and a double minor in cyber criminology and social welfare. She currently works at the Children’s Aid Society of Alabama, an organization that provides services to families in need or at risk.
Current student Jamal Cumbie also credits the REACH program for keeping him on track, especially early on.
“REACH was a big help to me from the start,” Cumbie said. “When I arrived on campus, my meal plan hadn’t been activated and they helped me get that straightened out. They also helped me figure out my classes, especially when I decided to change my major during freshman year.”
Cumbie just started his senior year as a secondary education/social studies major. Looking back on the last three years, Cumbie said he really enjoyed the community of the REACH program. “I made friends with people I could relate to, with similar backgrounds, and got a lot of peer support,” he said.
He’s enjoying offering the same support to freshmen participants. When asked what advice he’s giving the new students, Cumbie said, “You’re going to get out of it what you put into it.”
Elizabeth Winter, Tuscaloosa market executive at Regions Bank, is excited about the Regions Foundation grant and other means of support the bank provides to Alabama REACH. “This is such an important program,” she said. “These students have unique needs and I believe that without tailored support many of them would face real difficulty adjusting to a university environment.”
“But with the extra coaching, mentoring and guidance – as well as financial assistance – they are able to enjoy all the wonderful parts of college life: making lifelong friends, learning about subjects they’re passionate about, planning their careers and, of course, going to Alabama football games!”
“An investment in Alabama REACH is an investment in our future.”
These students have unique needs and I believe that without tailored support many of them would face real difficulty adjusting to a university environment. But with the extra coaching, mentoring and guidance – as well as financial assistance – they are able to enjoy all the wonderful parts of college life.
Elizabeth Winter, Tuscaloosa market executive at Regions Bank