The Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) was founded in 1972 to coordinate and sponsor a broad and many faceted program to foster economic progress in South Texas. For over 45 years, COSTEP has served the community by helping hundreds of thousands of students and their families by providing free financial literacy education programs and help fund millions of dollars in scholarships; altogether helping individuals achieve the dream of a higher education. In May 2019, COSTEP adopted a new mission “to ensure residents acquire skills and knowledge and have access to economic opportunities to enable them to pursue meaningful careers and live prosperous lives in Rio South Texas”.

COSTEP also developed a new strategic framework to fulfill its mission, which involves work related to three interlinked objectives:

1. Education & workforce
2. Economic development
3. Advocacy

The new strategic framework provides a platform for continued coordination and collaboration towards a common end-goal, not only for COSTEP and its nonprofit partners but also for a broader base of regional stakeholders. It offers the opportunity to connect initiatives, breakdown silos, and improve outcomes for regional stakeholders who participate.