HISD Becomes Third U.S. School District to Offer Free SAT to All Juniors

Students can take the college entrance exam during class time in April

February 02, 2011
 
All high school eleventh-graders in the Houston Independent School District will be given the opportunity to take the SAT college entrance exam free of charge at their home campuses this spring.

Only two other school districts in the nation have gone this far to ensure all students are ready to apply for college acceptance once they graduate. Typically, students have to register for the exam on their own and then take the SAT on a weekend at a specific testing site. The standard fee is $47.

“Giving students a chance to take the SAT at their own high school during regular school hours encourages more students to apply for college,” said HISD Superintendent of Schools Terry B. Grier. “This eliminates obstacles that sometimes keep students from ever taking the SAT.”

The free in-class testing, scheduled for April 13, is expected to double the number of graduates who have taken the SAT.