Category Archives: College Readiness

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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Carnegie Vanguard HS juniors create free tutoring start-up company

COVID-19 has presented several educational challenges that have exacerbated gaps in student learning, but two Carnegie Vanguard High School students saw it as an opportunity for positive change.

During the pandemic, juniors Aadhav Jai Murugesh and Levi Chen created Numerly, which provides easy-to-access, free tutoring services for students grades 3-8. Numerly’s goal is to uplift economically and medically underserved communities by making high-quality math and science education available for free.

“We wanted to do our part to help students succeed, regardless of the circumstances,” Murugesh said. “The math and science knowledge kids gain in elementary and middle school is crucial, and a strong foundation ensures that more challenging subjects are attainable in high school,”

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October is College & Career Readiness Month

The Office of Strategy & Innovation is excited to announce HISD’s third annual College & Career Readiness Month (CCR Month) in October.

CCR Month is a fun and creative way to engage students and introduce them to a variety of college and career options. This year’s theme is “Take Control: Explore. Design. Launch Your Future!” Each week of the month will highlight a specific CCR theme, including:

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FAFSA, TASFA applications open this week

The official filing period for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, opens October 1 for students planning on attending college in the fall of 2021.

Filling out the 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.

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.

Continue reading →