Category Archives: College Readiness

College Readiness surprises two high school seniors with FAFSA scholarships

Completing this year’s FAFSA on time paid off big time for two high school seniors who were the surprise recipients of a $500 scholarship on Friday.

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The HISD College Readiness department made two surprise visits to award checks to Belen Mendoza of Austin High School and Ashley Guzman of Energized for STEM Academy, Inc. High School West Campus. As a part of this year’s HISD FAFSA Initiative to increase TASFA or FASFA application submissions, names of every student who completed their TASFA/FASFA by HISD FASFA Day on March 3 were randomly selected from a drawing.

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Black College Expo highlights college and scholarship opportunities

The Black College Expo is making its return to Houston on Saturday, and many HISD middle and high school students are taking advantage of higher education opportunities days before the big event.

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College recruiters and representatives from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Power Center (12401 South Post Oak Road, 77045) to provide students and parents with one-on-one counseling, as well as scholarship and financial aid information. HISD students and parents can attend the event for free.

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HISD recognized at Houston Hispanic Forum’s 30th annual Career and Education Day

Thousands of students from across the Houston area, including hundreds from HISD, attended the Houston Hispanic Forum’s massive College and Education Day on Feb. 13, 2016, at the Brown Convention Center.

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Trustee to host Family Learning Academy on emerging career opportunities Feb. 27

HISD Board of Education Member Rhonda Skillern-Jones has partnered with the Family and Community Engagement and Linked Learning Departments to host the District II Family Learning Academy on emerging career opportunities.

The free event will take place from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, at Washington High School (119 East 39th Street, 77018), and will connect families with resources to help parents engage in their children’s education.

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FAFSA Roadshow brings financial aid support directly to students

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The library at Sam Houston Math, Science & Technology Center was overflowing with college financial aid information on Tuesday, Feb. 16, during HISD’s first-ever FAFSA Roadshow. Created jointly by three district departments — College Readiness, EMERGE, and College Access — the roadshow will travel to all HISD high schools to promote education and provide assistance in applying for scholarships, grants, and other types of financial aid.

“The purpose of today is to assist students in completing their TASFA or FAFSA, which is required in order for them to have some type of funding to pay for college,” said College Access Coordinator Kimberly Williams-Dooley. “Our students are doing a great job. We were very intentional about making sure our students had their documents in order.”

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College Readiness recommends tool that can help students master School Day SAT

HISD’s College Readiness department wants every 11th-grade student to know that practicing and doing well on the School Day SAT could pay off in extra incentives, including scholarships and materials for college.

The department launched the School Day Incentive program for the Class of 2017 on Wednesday, kicking off the countdown to the School Day SAT on April 12. The purpose of the program is to increase student participation and scores for the School Day SAT, thereby increasing student access to higher education and money for college.

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HISD students discover college options at NACAC Houston National College Fair

HISD students and parents from 20 high schools across the district gathered at NRG Arena on Tuesday morning for the NACAC Houston National College Fair, where admissions representatives from nearly 240 colleges and universities were on hand.

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“There are a lot of colleges right now that I’m interested in, and it’s good to see all of the colleges out in one place,” said Energy Institute High School student Jacob Guerrero.

The fair, which is organized by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, provides information about national and international schools, public and private universities, two-year and four-year programs, admissions requirements, and financial aid. More than 6,000 students from the Houston area were able to receive information on financial aid, scholarships, virtual campus tours, and advice on writing college essays.

“I really liked the fair, and I think it’s diverse,” said Ebony Edwards, an 11th-grade student at Yates High School. “It’s a good atmosphere for students to come around and see different colleges to see what each offers.”

Students will have three more opportunities to attend college fairs before the end of the month: the Houston Hispanic Forum’s College & Career Day (Feb. 13), the National Hispanic College Fair (Feb. 15), and the Black College Expo (Feb. 27). For details, please see this related article.

HISD students have opportunity to attend four college fairs in February

Houston Independent School District students will have the opportunity to attend several upcoming college readiness fairs being held across the city. The events are supported by HISD’s College Readiness department, which is committed to providing higher education access to all HISD students. All events are free for HISD students. Students should check with their college access coordinator to see if school-based transportation is available. Continue reading →

Students formalize college commitments during National Signing Day ceremony

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As a part of National Signing Day, more than 100 HISD students gathered at the Pavilion on the Forest Brook Middle School campus on Feb. 3 to formally announce their intent to play sports for particular colleges or universities this fall. The annual ceremony marks the culmination of years of hard work — both in the classroom and out on the field — and many of the talented athletes present were savoring their moment in the spotlight.

“I have never been to anything like this before,” said Reagan High School soccer player Stephanie Sanchez, who is going to Alcorn State University in Loman, Mississippi. “I am just soaking it all in.”

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College success advisor corps highlighted by Houston Public Media

Last April, HISD’s Board of Education voted to accept $8.5 million in grants to support the district’s college readiness programs. One of the initiatives those funds made possible was the creation of a 28-person corps of college success advisors, whose ambitious goal is to boost college application, attendance, and completion rates among HISD graduates.

After just one semester of having the corps in place, HISD is already seeing a significant increase in the number of students applying to college — and that has caught the attention of local news media.

The corps’ success is the subject of a Jan. 22 article on Houston Public Media’s website, in which reporter Laura Isensee notes the district’s college application rate has jumped the most among Hispanic students.

“The program so far is making a pretty significant difference,” said Ruth Lopez Turley, a Rice University professor quoted in the article.

Click here to read the full story.