Klesse College Summer Bridge Program

Experience the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program

About the Program:

The Klesse College Summer Bridge Program is a 4-week program for incoming freshmen pursuing an engineering degree at UT San Antonio. Students admitted to this program attend classes and workshops designed to help prepare them for the rigor of their first semester calculus and chemistry courses while also introducing them to college resources, various engineering programs, and skills that will help prepare them for college life.

Students will:

Develop their math skills to help them place into Calculus I and be admitted directly into the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Review Chemistry concepts to help them prepare for General Chemistry I
Connect with Engineering Student Organizations to learn about projects, competitions, and national workshops they can get involved in.
Attend workshops to learn about study skills, career preparation, engineering identity, and UT San Antonio resources.
Spend time with a small group of other freshman engineering students to help them build connections prior to the start of the academic year

Program Details

Requirements:

The Klesse College Summer Bridge Program is seeking to support students who:

Are Admitted to UT San Antonio for the Fall 2027 semester and plan to major in an engineering major within Klesse College (all engineering majors except for computer engineering, which is under the College of AI, Cyber & Computing)
Are planning to live at home with their family and commute to campus or are planning to live on campus and will commit to living in Blanco Hall for the year
Believe they could use additional math & chemistry support, are still exploring various fields of engineering, or need help getting connected to resources & support

Dates:

The 2027 Klesse College Summer Bridge Program is tentatively scheduled to take place from July 19^th - August 13^th

Throughout these dates students will be expected to be available Monday through Friday during the day to make it to their scheduled lectures and workshops.

Cost:

The Klesse College Summer Bridge Program is free.

Students admitted to the Summer Bridge Program who will be living on campus at Blanco Hall during the Fall and Spring semesters will move into their housing assignments at the start of the program. Housing costs will be covered for the duration of the Summer Bridge Program, but please note that this coverage does not extend beyond the summer term.

Students who will not be living on campus and instead commuting to campus can be provided with a parking permit to cover parking on campus for the duration of the program.

Additional Incentives:

Students who complete all the requirements of the program will receive a $1,500 stipend that will be applied to their student account to help compensate students for their time and participation.

Participants of the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program gathered in an auditorium with a faculty member at the center, all smiling and pointing, showcasing the sense of community and connections built during the program. The diverse group reflects the supportive environment that continues throughout their freshman year.

Ready to Jumpstart Your Engineering Journey?

Applications are now open for the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program for the 2027 cohort! This free, 4-week experience is designed to help incoming engineering Freshmen succeed with math, chemistry, and college life. Complete the program to kickstart your path to success at UT San Antonio.

Apply Now

Students and faculty of the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program

After the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program

Students who participate in our Klesse College Summer Bridge Program and are living in Blanco Hall are also enrolled in to our Freshman Interest Group (FIG) Program where they will be a part of a community with other engineering students for their entire freshman year. Students in the FIG Program will live directly next to each other in on campus housing, be enrolled in the same courses, have an upper-classman peer mentor to connect with for academic and social support, and be invited to special events during the fall and spring semesters.

Students who participate in our Klesse College Summer Bridge Program and are not living on campus will still have special events during the Fall and Spring semester to introduce them to opportunities within the college and receive continued support from Klesse College Student Success Center staff.

Learn more about the FIG program

FAQs

Requirements

No, students do not need AP or Dual Credit to be eligible. However, students that do not have college credit Pre-Calculus or Chemistry will be required to take the ALEKS Placement for math/chemistry if they want to be placed in the standard first semester engineering courses.

The ALEKS modules are not needed for students coming in with college credit for pre-calculus or above. If you do not have college level credit for pre-calculus or higher, you will need to complete ALEKS math.

Yes, this program is targeted specifically for engineering students to help them prepare for their courses, build connections with engineering faculty, tour engineering companies, and build engineering peer support systems. Non-engineering students will not be able to engage and benefit fully from this program.

Yes, students who have already earned college level credit in Calculus and/or General Chemistry are still welcome to apply, as the program offers other valuable experiences and resources that can benefit incoming freshmen.

Housing

Yes, although we require off campus students to be living at home with family. This requirement helps us ensure participants have a place to live during the program in the summer.

Yes, students would need to commit to living in Blanco Hall for their first year, which includes the 2027 Fall and Spring semesters.

Yes, students who will be living on campus during the year will be able to move into their dorm early to participate in this program. We will arrange the early move in with our on-campus housing partners so that no additional steps are needed to move in early.

We will coordinate the early move in with our housing partners, so the students will not need to do anything outside of securing their housing for the fall and spring semesters. We will have an early move-in date scheduled for Sunday before the program begins. We will have students arrive from 2:00 – 4:00 PM to get access to their room and move in.

Finance

For the most part. All students who complete the program by completing assignments and attending all the required meetings will receive a stipend. If a participant stops attending sessions and does not turn in assignments, they will not receive the stipend.

Stipends will be awarded through students’ UT San Antonio student account and will be awarded during the last week of the program. Stipends function similar to other financial aid and scholarships and will pay any balance on a student’s account first with any remaining, unspent amount being sent out to the student directly.

We welcome students with existing scholarships and awards to attend the program, but if a student is receiving the maximum amount of financial aid and scholarships, then we cannot award a stipend to them. Students who are not eligible for a stipend can participate if they would like to do so. Scholarships, financial aid, and stipend eligibility have a lot of nuances, so we recommend speaking with us directly if you have any questions about this.

Students on a school bus smiling and making hand gestures, symbolizing camaraderie and excitement during the Klesse College Summer Bridge Program.

Have Questions About the Summer Bridge Program?

Connect with Carlos Velez, Assistant Director for the Klesse College Student Success Center, to learn more about the Summer Bridge Program and how it supports incoming students. Reach out today for details and guidance! You can email Carlos at carlos.velez@utsa.edu.

Email Carlos