Category Archives: College Readiness

HISD to host Dream Summit for students

Event to help students apply for college, financial aid

The Houston Independent School District College Readiness and Multilingual Department will host its second Dream Summit to assist students with the college application and financial aid process on Saturday, Dec. 10.

The event aims to help HISD DREAMers, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees along with their families. Students will have the opportunity to speak with district representatives who will help them learn more about financial aid requirements and guidance with the application process.  Admissions representatives from several community colleges and Texas universities will be on hand to answer questions and will host information sessions on the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA).

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DREAM Summit: A day of exploration for HISD students

The College Readiness and Multilingual departments are hosting the DREAM Summit on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th St., Houston, 77092. All HISD DREAMers, DACA recipients, visa holders, permanent residents, refugees, and asylum grantees, along with their parents, are invited to attend.

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High school students get first-hand look into higher-education options

Students from Jones Futures Academy and Milby High School recently had the opportunity to learn more about pursuing their higher-education options and to start thinking about looking into options beyond their bachelor’s degree studies.

In an event hosted by Prospanica Houston (formerly known as the National Society of Hispanics MBAs) and with volunteers from the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), students were encouraged to explore the opportunities they can pursue after graduating high school, including the benefits of a master’s degree.

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Houston Black College Expo can save you money

You can save hundreds of dollars at the Black College Expo, because many of the colleges there will be waiving application fees for students who apply on the spot.

The 17th annual Black College Expo is open to all students and takes place from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, at the Power Center, 12401 S. Post Oak Road, Houston, 77045. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be celebrity appearances and fun activities. Continue reading →

HISD students raise SAT/PSAT scores by hundreds of points using free test prep from Khan Academy

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Two Booker T. Washington students have become national ambassadors for successful SAT/PSAT prep by  increasing their scores a combined 670 points, thanks to free practice tools available to every HISD student through Khan Academy.

In mid-October, the CollegeBoard flew Valencia Grayson and Matthew Blue to the Council of the Great City Schools fall conference in Miami, where they were honored for their success with the Khan SAT prep. HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza also attended the conference, where HISD was recognized for actively promoting the Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy.

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With earlier opening date for FAFSA, roadshows planned to educate families on financial aid process 

The Department of Education has moved the opening date for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from Jan. 1 to Oct. 1 this year and is allowing students and families to use their prior-year tax return to complete their FAFSA.

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While the earlier opening date gives students more time to complete their FAFSA, many colleges have moved their priority deadlines for submitting the FAFSA to earlier in the year, with some as early as Dec. 1.

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EMERGE program now accepting applications from HISD sophomores 

Applications are now available for sophomores who would like to join the highly successful EMERGE program, and motivated members of the Class of 2019 are encouraged to apply.

EMERGE connects high-performing students from underserved backgrounds with the resources needed to apply, attend, and graduate from the nation’s top-tier colleges and universities, usually at no cost to the student’s family.

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Furr High School awarded $10 million grant

HISD’s Furr High School has won a $10 million Super School Project grant, beating out thousands of other schools who applied from across the nation.

The five-year grant, awarded by the XQ Institute, began with a call for innovative ideas for redesigning traditional American high schools to prepare students for college and the workforce. Only 10 schools were awarded grants. Continue reading →

52 HISD students named National Merit semifinalists

Fifty-two seniors from six Houston Independent School District high schools qualified as semifinalists this week in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The HISD students are among 16,000 from across the country to earn the semifinalist designation, allowing them the opportunity to continue in the academic competition and vie for nearly $33 million in scholarships that will be awarded next year.

The students attend Bellaire, Booker T. Washington, Carnegie Vanguard, and Lamar high schools, DeBakey High School for Health Professions, and the High School for the Performing & Visual Arts. Continue reading →