Texas A&M University’s 12-campus system moved from isolated pilots to a cross-unit, system-wide AI student engagement platform aimed at keeping Pell Grant-eligible students on track. The chatbot, built in collaboration with Mainstay, routes students to financial aid, registration, counseling and emergency resources. System leaders said the project required an unprecedented data and workflow alignment across IT, academic affairs, and student services, not just a new tool. Early wins include better contact with students who stopped out and were otherwise hard to reach. The initiative is scheduled for expansion across nine campuses by fall 2026, but officials also acknowledged the effort uncovered persistent data silos that will take more work to fully close.