About Us
Joe A. Gonzalez, a Nueces County Justice of the Peace, wanted a way to discourage truancy and counteract the local dropout rate in Nueces County. So in 2005, the Joe A. Gonzalez (JAG) Education Is Our Freedom Scholarship Program (EIOF) was founded to encourage students to stay in school or complete their GED if they did not finish school.
With the help of the EIOF program, this population of students has an opportunity to pursue their dream of furthering their education and skills by attending college or a vocational institution. This program believes that education should be everyone’s right and that every person, regardless of age, race, or gender, should have the opportunity to go to school in a free country and attend a college of their choice.
EIOF differs from other scholarship programs, we focus mostly on GED graduates or those students with a low GPA who need that second opportunity. This program stays in contact with students as they make their way through college and even offers additional assistance if needed.
A committee of educators, professionals, and business owners reviews the applications. Scholarships are then awarded to students at the annual awards event. Our program’s goal is to promote leadership and personal responsibility among our youth. The members of our board strongly believe that this process is part of the solution to our dropout epidemic and our future workforce
Where We Are Today
EIOF has grown from providing five scholarships to over 100 each year. We are blessed to have such generous sponsors who support this program; without them, this program would not be possible.
Our education partners, Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and the Craft Training Center, match our scholarships dollar for dollar in the spring semester, making this a win-win situation.
A one-week, no-cost summer College Algebra Math Clinic is offered to all 1st-year scholarship recipients who struggle with math to help them succeed in College Algebra. We also assist in paying for GED and TSI testing fees.
The Joe A. Gonzalez (JAG) Education Is Our Freedom Program is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, contact Joe A. Gonzalez (JAG) at 4009 D Oak Forest, Corpus Christi, TX 78413, phone number (361) 945-3551, or email commishjag@gmail.com.
