Category Archives: College Readiness

14 EMERGE students accepted to Middlebury College with full-ride financial aid

Sitting in English class at the High School for Law and Justice, listening to a lesson on Macbeth, Roy Urbina knew his life would soon be completely different.

In just a few short months—just over 150 days, he’ll tell you—Urbina will leave his home near Hobby Airport and fly to Vermont, where he’ll be attending Middlebury College. From the largest city in Texas to a town of about 9,000 people a two-hour drive from French Canada, the first-generation college student is ready for the adventure.

“I can’t wait for the independence of college,” he said, laughing. “But I’m looking forward to the environment. You can go hiking, you can go outside, having that openness right there. Living in Houston, it’s pretty urban, and Vermont is so different.”

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February is Career & Technical Education Month

February is Career & Technical Education Month, and graduating seniors have the opportunity through HISD’s Career Readiness department to explore career opportunities.

Students can network with industry partners in the Gulf Coast Region, expand their knowledge of careers in the military and aviation industry, and engage with business leaders to hear about out-of-the-box careers that will help them earn more.

Career Readiness is offering three mini sessions in February to expand, engage, and explore career opportunities. These sessions take place in the evenings from 5-6 p.m. on Feb. 4, Feb. 11, and Feb. 18. See this flyer for more information and to register.

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Apply now for Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo financial aid

Each year, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo awards more than 800 scholarships, and the deadline to apply for this year’s awards is Monday, Feb. 22.

In the fall, the Rodeo committed to award $14.2 million in scholarships, $3.7 million in educational program grants, and $662,000 in graduate assistantships.

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HISD mentoring programs celebrate National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month, and HISD’s Ascending to Men (ATM) Project and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES) mentoring programs are celebrating by highlighting mentors and mentoring stories on their social media platforms.

National Mentoring Month is a celebration of the positive impact mentors have in their mentees’ lives. It is also a time where interest in mentorship and making a difference in the community is at its highest, with the excitement of a fresh new year and the goals and resolutions to impact others. HISD is encouraging the public to get involved and become a mentor.

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FAFSA priority deadline for Texas students is Jan. 15

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step toward getting many different types of financial aid for school – and finishing the FAFSA early is the best way to maximize college-award packages. 

Even though the federal government doesn’t have a firm deadline as to when FAFSAs need to be completed, all 50 states do. And for Texas, the priority deadline is Jan. 15, 2021. 

When applying for student aid, timing matters. Each year, the Office of Federal Student Aid offers more than $120 billion through grants, loans, and work-study funds to help students pay for higher education. Priority for this money will be given to students who apply before the priority consideration deadline. 

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Lamar HS scholar charts path to academic excellence

Robert W. Lane III was solving multiplication problems, spelling third-grade words, and putting together complicated Lego sets – all at the age of 18 months.

While attending Valley West Elementary School, Robert performed at a post-high school level while maintaining honor roll status, as well as excellent conduct and perfect attendance.

During his years at Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men, he was selected for a pilot program in which he took and excelled at advanced high school math courses. He scored in the top five percentile in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and was recognized as a Duke University TIP Program medal recipient in math, reading, science, and English.

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School Choice application deadline for Phase 2 is Feb. 26  

Parents who would still like to apply for a school choice program for the 2021-2022 school year have until Friday, Feb. 26 to do so. 

After all applications in Phase 1 have been offered, eligible Phase 2 students who meet a program’s qualifications will be considered in the order in which their application was submitted, should the program have space available. 

Any applications for students who live outside the HISD boundaries will not be considered until Phase 3, even if the application was submitted during Phase 2. 

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First virtual Dream Summit series event puts students on path to college

HISD kicked off the district’s Dream Summit Series on Thursday with the “Launch the Dream” virtual event, which was filled with information to help students take the necessary actions and steps to make their college aspirations a reality.

The HISD Office of College and Career Readiness and Multilingual Programs DREAM Summit annual event, which is held each year to aid HISD DREAMers, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees, along with their families, was adapted into a series of virtual events giving more students a chance to make their college dreams come true.

Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Rick Cruz welcomed students and their families to the virtual event applauding them for their commitment to the future.

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Marvy Finger Family Foundation scholarship deadline extended due to winter storm

Apply by March 22 for a full career and technical education scholarship 

Students considering a career in construction, transportation, nursing, or industrial technology may qualify for a full scholarship in one of these fields or many more. Local and national industry data show a need for highly skilled employees in high-growth jobs with great earning potential. 

Since 2012, the Marvy Finger Family Foundation Scholarship has been awarding worthy HISD graduates full scholarships covering their two-year degree or certification program in these high-demand careers. This scholarship includes not just tuition but books, fees, etc. 

This year, 100 full scholarships are available from Finger for a career and technical degree or certificate program in the fields of automotive, construction, digital information and technology, industrial technology, health science, law, logistics, manufacturing, and transportation distribution. Included in these fields are HVAC, pipefitting, cybersecurity, welding, maritime transportation, and more (see application for a complete list). 

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Colleges waiving SAT, ACT admission requirements

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an increasing number of colleges and universities are waiving the American College Testing (ACT) and Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) as part of their fall 2021 admissions process. 

The SAT and ACT tests will not only be optional for students, but most colleges are also not requiring students to take the exams to be considered for admission.

“This presents a great opportunity for students,” HISD Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Rick Cruz said. “This allows them to demonstrate that they are academically capable in different ways.”

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