Students and families can access both HISD Virtual Town Hall Meetings (English and Spanish) at the links listed below.

HISD Virtual COVID-19 Town Hall (Click to view) English | Spanish

Absolutely! College & Career Readiness Advisors (CCRA) are available  to assist students and parents with questions pertaining to the college entrance process. College Readiness as well as other HISD departments have done a phenomenal job in transitioning into supporting students virtually. Microsoft platforms such as Teams allows CCRAs to connect with students to provide updates regarding the college entrance process. Please visit www.Houstonisd.org/CollegeReadiness to find contact information for College & Career Readiness Advisor.

College Readiness as well as other departments are in constant communication with colleges and universities to ensure families have the most current information for navigating the college entrance process. Please visit www.Houstonisd.org/CollegeReadiness to find the most up to date information and resources related to the impact of COVID-19 on the college entrance process.

The College Board (SAT) and ACT have created COVID-19 specific websites to keep students, parents, and college access personnel up to date with new developments. Up to date information from College Board and ACT is listed on the College Readiness website at www.Houstonisd.org/CollegeReadiness. Please see COVID-19 websites for the College Board and ACT listed below.

• SAT Coronavirus Updates Website will provide the most current information regarding upcoming SAT test administrations. Click here to visit the website. 

• ACT COVID-19 Update website will provide the most current information regarding upcoming ACT test administrations. Click here to visit the website.

Great news! HISD students will still be able to earn college credit this year for all 4 post-secondary programs including AP, IB, Dual Credit, and Dual Enrollment. Please visit the Innovation and Postsecondary Programming website at www.Houstonisd.org/IPP or email at Advanced@Houstonisd.org for information about the 4  post-secondary programs.

AP Exams

Students will be taking a 45-minute online exam, per subject, designed for home administration. These exams will require internet, but can be taken by phone, tablet, or computer. The AP exam testing window is May 11^th – May 22^nd. Students can click here to view the AP testing calendar and subject specific exam information. Advance Placement host daily review sessions Monday – Friday. Click here to view the Advance Placement YouTube channel.

AP Cram Review Sessions

The HISD Innovation and Postsecondary Programming Department is hosting review sessions to assist students preparing for the upcoming AP exams called, AP Cram. The AP Cram review sessions will occur on May 9^th and May 16^th from 9am – 4pm and is free of charge. Click here to view the AP Cram flyer. 

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Students will not take IB exams this year. Students’ internal assessments, coursework, and portfolio’s will be graded and used to determine whether the student earned college credit. Learn more about subject specific internal assessments at https://ibo.org/.  

Dual Credit

Dual Credit courses resumed on March 31^st entirely online. Students will continue their work online. HCC has put a lot of student resources in place for online learning at https://www.hccs.edu/programs/dual-credit/. HCC has also created a pass/fail option for grading to assist students struggling with internet or device issues. As always, a student’s final grade in the Dual Credit course will be basis for earning college credit. Just a reminder that HCC’s summer dual credit courses will also be online only.  

Dual Enrollment (UT OnRamps)

For dual enrollment students the bridge to online learning has been there all year. Students will continue learning remotely from their University of Texas Professor, and the grade in the college course will determine eligibility. Remind students that it is up to you to decide whether or not you will accept the credit once earned. For more information go to Onramps.utexas.edu/students/.

HISD College Readiness strongly encourages you to reach out to your college/university to have your financial aid package evaluated if your parents/guardians lost income or were either laid off/furloughed due to COVID-19.

uAspire | COVID-19 Support Resources

uAspire is a nonprofit organization that provides financial information and resources for students to find an affordable path to and through college. uAspire created “COVID-19 Support Resources” to assist families as they navigate college affordability as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to visit the uAspire COVID-19 Support Resources page.

 Additional uAspire Resources

• “How to Appeal a Financial Aid Offer”: Six steps to appeal your financial aid offer. Click here to view resource. 

• “Sample Appeal Letters for COVID-19 Related Situations”: uAspire created a sample appeal letter for families impacted by COVID-19. Click here to view resource.  

• Appeal Letter Templates: A FREE tool by SwiftStudent that assist students write a financial aid appeal letter. Click here to view resource.  

• “Next Steps: After the Financial Aid Offer”: This resource walk students through next steps after accepting their financial aid offer. Click here to view resource.

Students that are in the process of seeking asylum can apply for state financial aid, TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid.) The student can apply for TASFA if they are not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident.

One of the most important requirements for TASFA is that the student must be a resident of the state of Texas for at least three years. Attached to this email I will include a copy of the TASFA application. Along with the application you also need to submit the following requirements:

• Notarized affidavit
• Registration confirmation for the Selective Service (only if the student is male and 18 years or older)
• Tax Return transcript for the year 2018
• Verification Worksheet from the university you are submitting the application to

State financial aid is not the only form of financial aid the student can apply for. There are various opportunities to apply for scholarships that do not require a legal status or social security number. I will attach the document that lists scholarship opportunities to this email. **In reference to the scholarship document, the only scholarship the student can apply for are those marked with a red asterisk**

There are a variety of ways students can find scholarships.

College Readiness HOT Scholarship List

The College Readiness Department publishes the HOT Scholarship List monthly. Scholarships included on the list can range from merit-based opportunities to major-specific scholarships. Local, regional, and national scholarships are also included on the HOT Scholarship List. Please click here to access the latest HOT Scholarship List.

 Naviance Scholarship List

Students can access the extensive list of scholarships available on Naviance. Scholarships included on the list can range from merit-based opportunities to major-specific scholarships. Click here view the presentation for finding scholarships on Naviance.

Additional Scholarship Search Tools

There are thousands of scholarships opportunities students can apply for. Included below are some FREE tools for students and families to use during the scholarship search process. 

• College Greenlight is a FREE college and scholarship resource for students. Scholarships are matched to students using the information included in their College Greenlight profile. This will help students finds scholarships they qualify for. Click here to visit the College Greenlight website.
• Scholar Snapp is a FREE search engine that helps students save time by them to move their own personal information between applications forms – securely and safely. Click here to visit the Scholar Snapp website.
• Big Future | Scholarship Search is a FREE tool to find scholarships, other financial aid and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion. Click here to visit the Scholarship Search website.