While individual skills and experience are important, college students or recent graduates may struggle to get a job without properly networking. Handshake, a job and internship platform available to UTA students, aims to help with just that. Adopted by the university in 2017, Handshake connects students with thousands of on-and-off campus employers, functioning as the central hub for all career-related job postings and events, said Nichole Thames, assistant director of Student Employment, in an email. In the beginning of the semester, students will be able to log onto the platform through single sign-on, their UTA NetID and password. Once logged in, they can create a profile, upload a resume, register for events, explore job opportunities and connect directly with employers. On the front page, Handshake categorizes jobs by major and includes tabs for events such as job fairs. A social media-like feature is also available, allowing users to connect with other students on the service. The job filter helps students curate opportunities that fit what they are looking for by pay, location, job type, hours, qualifications, work authorization, benefits, industry, employers and tags. Users can view job details and apply directly if they meet the requirements and required documentation. If not, they can upload missing documents or apply via an external site if needed. Users can also connect directly with the Career Development Center to schedule appointments and find additional resources. The tab groups internships in one place and categorizes them. “Handshake is one of the best tools available to students for finding jobs that align with their goals and schedules,” Thames said. “It gives them direct access to employers who want to hire college students and recent grads, which is something you won’t always find on general job boards.” More information on Handshake is available online. news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Arlington residents are being invited to roll the dice on the city’s future from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library in the [re]Brary rooms. Growing a Better Arlington is a new interactive board game offering a playful yet meaningful way for locals to explore where and how Arlington could grow in the years ahead. John Chapman, Arlington’s long range planning manager, said the board game not only explains what a comprehensive plan is and why it matters, but also helps the city think through future scenarios it needs to prepare for. “It brings the community together to play something fun and interactive that will really help shape what the next evolution of Arlington will be,” Chapman said. The board game has two modes: a shortened version and the full game. In the full version, two to six players work to shape the next version of Arlington. Each player gets private funds, and there are shared public funds in the center of the board. Players then choose from live, work and play framework cards that represent how future Arlington residents might live. Once the game is set up, players take turns drawing prompt cards. “The prompt card may have a neutral effect, it may have a positive or negative effect to the gameplay,” Chapman said. “It could create a natural disaster that diverts public funds to assist with cleanup, and it could be something where Arlington is spotlighted for increased innovation and technology sectors that bring additional funds to the city.” Each turn, a player has the option to roll the dice to request a plan change, he said. As players develop more housing using dream coins or create more jobs, they must also invest in public amenities such as parks, libraries or health care. The goal of the game is to achieve the growth trajectory of 30,000 jobs and 15,000 housing units, which is based on existing data and growth patterns Arlington has been experiencing. Chapman said residents can complete a fillable form as the game concludes and are encouraged to take photos of their boards and the city manager's tally sheet. The maps will then be compiled to understand the general themes. MIG, a planning and design consulting firm, helped develop the game and has worked on similar projects across the country. Growing a Better Arlington was created with the assistance of City of Arlington staff. Chapman said he believes that this is the most intricate version that the firm has created. “I think this game will kind of help everyone wrap their minds around that concept that we’re big enough to host a variety of development types in order to ensure that everyone can live their American Dream,” he said. More information and updates about Growing a Better Arlington and the city’s comprehensive plan can be found here. @tay._.sansom news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA has selected Wayne Atchley to be the inaugural vice president for regional campuses, overseeing the development of UTA West and the Fort Worth Center, UTA announced in a press release Monday. Atchley previously worked as the vice president for academic affairs at Tarrant County College Trinity River and helped implement enrollment and academic advising initiatives at Tarleton State University, bringing over two decades of leadership in higher education. UTA president Jennifer Cowley said in the press release that Atchley is a highly respected educator with deep roots in West Fort Worth. “When I first met him, it was obvious to me that he has the connection and appreciation for that community, which is critical for building a solid foundation for the new UTA West and a vision for our UTA Fort Worth Center,” Cowley said. After breaking ground in April, UTA West is set to begin enrollment in 2028. The new campus will help UTA work toward its mission to provide students with affordable higher education, according to the press release. Atchley said in the press release that he is excited to have the opportunity to help shape the future of his hometown. “I am looking forward to leveraging UTA’s prestigious R1 status and excellent academic reputation to expand educational and workforce opportunities in west Fort Worth and Parker County,” he said. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Dallas-Fort Worth residents can expect one more round of rain before hot and dry weather takes over for the rest of the week. Matt Stalley, National Weather Service lead meteorologist, said Tuesday brings about a 20% chance of rain showers. Temperatures are expected to rise steadily throughout the week. Highs will stay in the low-to-mid-90s during the middle of the week and could reach 98 or 99 degrees by the weekend. Looking ahead to next week, Stalley said the forecast doesn’t show any major changes, just continued heat and low rain chances. “It looks mostly hot and dry,” he said. @samip.parajuli.54 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Arlington Mayor Jim Ross will be hosting a series of Town Hall meetings throughout the next six months to cover key updates around the city, starting Tuesday at the Bob Duncan Center. The Arlington Works public Town Hall meetings will cover several topics, including bond-funded projects, public safety and infrastructure investments and the city’s current and projected budget for fiscal years 2025 and 2026. The meetings take place from 6 to 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Mayor Ross said the meetings will be an attempt to bring everybody up to speed on what's happening in Arlington, from the city’s perspective. The series will provide a more community-centered, intimate approach in addition to Mayor Ross’s traditional State of the City address, according to a press release from the city. Residents will be able to ask questions and engage with city leaders after each meeting’s presentation. “It gives people, the average person in Arlington, an opportunity to question the mayor,” he said. “‘What's going on with the new police substation up on Lamar? What's going on with the renovation of [Fire Station No. 8], What's going on with Randall Mill Road?’ That type of stuff.” Ross said a lot of people are tired of the federal, state and local government, and Arlington Works is an attempt to better educate residents on their local situation. “In spite of everything else going on all over the country, we're functioning just fine here in Arlington, and not only are we functioning fine, but Arlington is thriving right now,” he said. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Jame Nguyen has been financially preparing for his freshman year at UTA. His father is unable to work, and his mother doesn’t have a high-paying job. When he starts studying industrial engineering in the fall, Nguyen will receive the maximum Pell Grant of $7,395. “It's definitely a lot helpful,” he said. “But it also made me realize, ‘Dang, college is expensive,’ and that it's a real financial toll on my family and me.” Nguyen’s maximum amount, however, will soon change. He is one of the tens of thousands of UTA Pell Grant recipients who will be affected by changes to the program in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. UTA leaders are bracing for an impact, too. Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, the maximum Pell Grant award will be $5,710 — a $1,685 decrease and the lowest amount in more than a decade. The cut will be “devastating” as the maximum amount has remained steady for three years, said Karen Krause, UTA’s executive director of financial aid. For the fall 2024 semester, 75.1% of recipients at UTA qualified for the maximum federal Pell Grant amount. “There just are pieces of this that we're not going to know for a while, and that's frustrating,” Krause said. “And I know it's frustrating. It's frustrating for us too.” Roughly 40% of undergraduate students nationwide rely on Pell Grants, which are given to those who demonstrate financial need on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Work-study funds earned through part-time jobs often help cover additional education expenses. The Pell Grant is the largest source of grant aid in Texas. More than 480,000 recipients in the state — 34% of enrolled students — will be affected, according to The Education Trust, an organization advocating for low-income Black and Latino students. The American Council on Education estimated the state could face financial aid losses between $353 million and $493 million. The budget, signed by Trump on July 4, includes provisions that provide $10.5 billion to stabilize the program and leaves out a requirement from the original House version that would have required students to take 15 credits per semester instead of 12. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was approved with only Republican support. Other changes to Pell Grant eligibility include excluding those who receive a full-ride scholarship to a university and adding individuals who enroll in workplace training programs. Lawmakers also changed the student aid index, a formula used to calculate students’ Pell Grant eligibility. A student is now ineligible if their student aid index is more than double the maximum grant amount, higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz said. Almost all of UTA’s current Pell Grant recipients remain eligible under the double student aid index requirements, Krause said. Now the student aid index takes into account families’ foreign income, which was previously excluded. If a student has a family farm that meets certain criteria or a small family business, they can be excluded from adding those to the Pell Grant calculation, Krause said. ‘So many unknowns right now’ As the Pell Grant changes, UTA anticipates an overall tighter fiscal situation. President Jennifer Cowley recently announced the university is bracing for budget cuts due to decreased federal funding. Students without legal status may not be eligible for in-state tuition. The recent travel ban may also push students to choose a different country for their education. “At this juncture, it's just premature to know what options the university might be able to explore and implement,” university spokesperson Joe Carpenter said. Krause said multiple departments at UTA are monitoring state and federal changes to financial aid. Her team will continue to provide workshops and presentations to help students and parents keep track of updates. Also, students submitting documents by deadlines is becoming even more important, she said, as it helps UTA to manage its funds. The good news is, Krause said, no financial change, including to Pell Grants, is expected for the 2025-26 academic year. As for 2026-27? “I don't think we're ready to make that kind of a proclamation to say, ‘OK, we're going to replace X dollars’ or anything like that because there's just so many unknowns right now,” Krause said. Nguyen, who took a gap year after high school and is taking 15 credit hours for his first semester, said he doesn’t have the experience yet to know if he’s ready for the workload. But his friends are pushing him to pursue education. His boss already promised support. So, he’s going for it. He’s looking for other resources to pay the remaining tuition amount and also to prepare for the changes to the maximum grant amount in the 2026-27 academic year. His mother also agreed to help. “It's just —” he said, pausing. “I'll try to find any way I could help my mom not have to chip in.” @DangHLe news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu