TEACHERS
College Planning

Help students understand their best college options and how to get there.

Taste college in high school.
There are many ways to earn college credits in high school – dual credit, dual enrollment, AP, IB. Make sure your students understand the difference and how their credits will transfer when they start their chosen degree program.

Ace college admission tests.
There’s a lot that goes into guiding students through admission tests. They need to prepare. They need help with registration, with fee waivers, and with requesting accommodations. The Texas OnCourse Academy helps you answer these questions, and we’ll point you to external tools to share with students and families.

Understand what’s available.
You’re helping students navigate so many questions. They’re understanding the difference between public and private schools, what colleges are best for their major, and more. Our trainings and tools help you make these big differences clear.

Military? Athletics? You’ve got this.
Each student has a unique set of needs. Questions on how to help students interested in military academies or Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)? Guiding students through the athletic recruitment process? Let us make things clear.
Tools We Recommend
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Texas OnCourse Academy
Texas OnCourse Academy provides comprehensive learning on college and career advising to educators.
COLLEGE PLANNING
Compare College TX
Compare College TX enables you to compare Texas public two- and four-year universities by cost, graduation rate, and more.
COLLEGE PLANNING | FINANCES
College Scorecard
Compare colleges and universities based on information such as average cost, graduation rate, and salary after graduation.
COLLEGE PLANNING
BigFuture
Learn what colleges offer your major, where you can get in, how much schools cost, and more with this College Board resource.
Important Dates and Deadlines
JUN
2
GRADES 11 &12
June SAT test date
JUN
9
GRADES 11 & 12
June ACT test date
AUG
GRADE 10
Sign up for a PSAT prep class
OCT
01
GRADE 12
Common applications open. Start applying to college!
All Resources for College Planning
Early High School
New Year, New Goals!
COLLEGE PLANNING
At Texas OnCourse, we love the new year as a time for reflection and intention setting. This doesn’t necessarily mean out with the old, in the with the new – rather, what’s been working well and what are some new things to try? With that in mind, we tapped our dedicated community of leader fellows to see what their visions are for themselves and their students in 2019.

Sharing Our Gratitude
COLLEGE PLANNING
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re mindful of all of the things we’re grateful for. In particular, we are thankful for you, Texas educators. As of last week, more than 10,000 of you have registered for the TexasOnCourse Academy, our free online resource offering premium content for educators. Thanks to you, countless students across the state are equipped to plan for success after high school.

October Office Hours Recap -- All About FAFSA
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
Did you miss October’s digital office hours on FAFSA? We’d like to share the top three questions and answers that came up!

New Tools for Supporting Highly Mobile Students
LESSONS & CURRICULUM
Do you have highly mobile students? Texas OnCourse has the resources to help you best serve this unique group.

Advising Migrant Students
LESSONS AND CURRICULUM
Migrant students (not to be confused with immigrant students) are highly mobile children and youth whose families work in agriculture or in fishing. Do you know how to properly advise them?

Follow Along as Texas Students Hit the Road to Find Their Future
JOBS AND CAREERS
We’re excited to announce the premiere of Room to Grow, the Roadtrip Nation documentary fueled by Texas OnCourse. With four half-hour episodes, Room to Grow will air on public television throughout Texas starting in September.

Roadtrip Texas: Getting Involved in High School
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
Getting involved in clubs and activities in high school can help set you up for success in college. In this video, students share how their after-school activities helped them learn about passions and time management.

Roadtrip Texas: Choose Courses to Prepare for College!
COLLEGE PLANNING

When and Why to Take the TSIA
BLOG
The Texas Success Initiative Assessments (TSIA) are part of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) program designed to help a student's college or university determine if the student is ready for college-level coursework in reading, writing, and mathematics. Let us explain when and why to take the exam!

Resources to Share: National Merit Scholarship
BLOG
The fall is PSAT season, which means students have questions about the National Merit Scholarship. Often, students don’t fully understand why the PSAT is important, except as a practice for the SAT. We've created simple graphics that can help you guide your students.

College and Career Advising in Texas
RESEARCH
Texas OnCourse administered a survey to K-12 counselors and advisers throughout Texas to better understand the state of college and career advising. Feedback from school counselors is crucial to maximizing the impact of our counseling and advising resources. Texas OnCourse is committed to using the data supplied in this survey to maximize the services we provide to our community.

ACT vs SAT
BLOG
Students often ask themselves, do I take the SAT or the ACT? We do recommend that students take full length practice tests of both, or even take both tests (both offer fee waivers!) - but included here is a chart detailing the similarities and differences between the two major college exams.

How University Application Rates Vary by Race/Ethnicity
RESEARCH
If Texas colleges want to boost attainment and college completion rates, we need a clear picture of how students are actually applying to college. This inaugural Texas OnCourse Data Note investigates how university application rates vary according to race and ethnicity.

MiddleGalaxy
JOBS AND CAREERS
Lead a space voyage in this web and mobile game exploring the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for a variety of careers.

Share Your Road
JOBS AND CAREERS
Discover opportunities you never knew existed! Texans share their career journeys. Explore their stories and get inspired.

Texas OnCourse Academy
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Texas OnCourse Academy provides comprehensive learning on college and career advising to educators.

Adventures in Education
FINANCES
Access financial aid information, money management tools, and scholarship opportunities as students prepare to pay for college.

College for All Texans
COLLEGE PLANNING | FINANCES
Find out your options on how to pay for college education costs. Understand tuition and fees, financial aid, and scholarships and loans.

Texas GEAR UP
COLLEGE PLANNING
High school students plan for college and career with resources provided by Texas GEAR UP. Interactive games and tools set them on the path to future success.

BigFuture
COLLEGE PLANNING
Learn what colleges offer your major, where you can get in, how much schools cost, and more with this College Board resource.

Your Bright Future
COLLEGE PLANNING | JOBS AND CAREERS
Use the resources on this site to help students explore careers. Your Bright Future is the Texas Workforce Commission hub for informing high school students about labor market Information.

Roadtrip Nation
JOBS AND CAREERS
Students travel across the nation to talk to their heroes and job crushes and understand college and career decisions along the way.

Khan Academy SAT Prep
COLLEGE PLANNING
Prepare students for the SAT with lessons and practice tests from this official partner of the College Board.

Late High School
New Year, New Goals!
COLLEGE PLANNING
At Texas OnCourse, we love the new year as a time for reflection and intention setting. This doesn’t necessarily mean out with the old, in the with the new – rather, what’s been working well and what are some new things to try? With that in mind, we tapped our dedicated community of leader fellows to see what their visions are for themselves and their students in 2019.

Sharing Our Gratitude
COLLEGE PLANNING
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re mindful of all of the things we’re grateful for. In particular, we are thankful for you, Texas educators. As of last week, more than 10,000 of you have registered for the TexasOnCourse Academy, our free online resource offering premium content for educators. Thanks to you, countless students across the state are equipped to plan for success after high school.

Boil It Down and Build It Up: Crafting a College List
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
Building the college list can be stressful and overwhelming because there are so many options, but it doesn’t have to be! You can guide your students through three easy steps to make them feel in control of building their list.

October Office Hours Recap -- All About FAFSA
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
Did you miss October’s digital office hours on FAFSA? We’d like to share the top three questions and answers that came up!

The ApplyTexas Scholarship Section – Don't Forget It!
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
Make sure your students know about the importance of filling out the ApplyTexas scholarship section at the same time as the rest of the application. Read more for best practices!

Senior Parent Night Event Planning Guide
COLLEGE PLANNING
Are you planning a Senior Parent Night event? Check out these helpful tips from Mia Bradford, one of our Texas OnCourse Leader Fellows.

Follow Along as Texas Students Hit the Road to Find Their Future
JOBS AND CAREERS
We’re excited to announce the premiere of Room to Grow, the Roadtrip Nation documentary fueled by Texas OnCourse. With four half-hour episodes, Room to Grow will air on public television throughout Texas starting in September.

Roadtrip Texas: Getting Involved in High School
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
Getting involved in clubs and activities in high school can help set you up for success in college. In this video, students share how their after-school activities helped them learn about passions and time management.

Roadtrip Texas: Find Your Support System
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
Going to college can be scary because it means finding a whole new group of friends and study buddies. College students from all different backgrounds talk about how they found their footing in this video.

Roadtrip Texas: Summer Before College
COLLEGE PLANNING
The summer after high school can be overwhelming if you're college-bound. Financial aid, registration, planning -- your to-do list can get pretty lengthy. Students like you describe how they conquered it in this video.

Roadtrip Texas: Study Habits for the College-Bound
PLANNING FOR COLLEGE
Heading to college means more self-direction, so study habits are important. College students from different backgrounds and schools share their experience shaping a study schedule that works in this video.

Roadtrip Texas: Leaving Home
COLLEGE PLANNING
High school students, explore the reality of moving away to college through the eyes of these students who have already made the decision. Interviews with college students from varied backgrounds can give you a better idea of the pros and cons of leaving home, and what's right for you.

Starting the Conversation: Financial Aid Award Letters
BLOG
As we leave 2018 FAFSA priority deadlines behind us, students are checking their portals and mailboxes for their financial aid award letters. As they gear up to make big decisions about their financial and educational future, here are a series of helpful terms and questions to help guide students through their award letters.

Financial Aid Timeline
BLOG
The FAFSA has now been open since October 1, so as the March 15 deadline roles closer, students may be wondering what their next steps are.

The Basics: Scholarship Applications
BLOG
Starting the scholarship process can be overwhelming for students! Here, we’ve organized our tips into four simple steps to get students started on their application process, with downloadable resources for students, parents, and educators.

When and Why to Take the TSIA
BLOG
The Texas Success Initiative Assessments (TSIA) are part of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) program designed to help a student's college or university determine if the student is ready for college-level coursework in reading, writing, and mathematics. Let us explain when and why to take the exam!

Resources to Share: National Merit Scholarship
BLOG
The fall is PSAT season, which means students have questions about the National Merit Scholarship. Often, students don’t fully understand why the PSAT is important, except as a practice for the SAT. We've created simple graphics that can help you guide your students.

Access Additional College Scholarship Funds with CSS Profile
BLOG
In October, many college counselors and advisers are heads-down focused on helping students with FAFSA and TASFA applications. However, did you know students and families may qualify for additional financial aid through the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE application? This application is used by 300+ colleges and scholarship providers and, like the SAT, is administered by the College Board.

Navigating the Many College Application Systems
BLOG
The various college application systems each have unique characteristics that that can make it hard for even the most seasoned counselor to quickly and easily remember specific details. Fortunately, Texas OnCourse has put together a one page resource you can hang in your classroom to make it easy to remember.

College and Career Advising in Texas
RESEARCH
Texas OnCourse administered a survey to K-12 counselors and advisers throughout Texas to better understand the state of college and career advising. Feedback from school counselors is crucial to maximizing the impact of our counseling and advising resources. Texas OnCourse is committed to using the data supplied in this survey to maximize the services we provide to our community.

ACT vs SAT
BLOG
Students often ask themselves, do I take the SAT or the ACT? We do recommend that students take full length practice tests of both, or even take both tests (both offer fee waivers!) - but included here is a chart detailing the similarities and differences between the two major college exams.

How University Application Rates Vary by Race/Ethnicity
RESEARCH
If Texas colleges want to boost attainment and college completion rates, we need a clear picture of how students are actually applying to college. This inaugural Texas OnCourse Data Note investigates how university application rates vary according to race and ethnicity.

Share Your Road
JOBS AND CAREERS
Discover opportunities you never knew existed! Texans share their career journeys. Explore their stories and get inspired.

Texas OnCourse Academy
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Texas OnCourse Academy provides comprehensive learning on college and career advising to educators.

Adventures in Education
FINANCES
Access financial aid information, money management tools, and scholarship opportunities as students prepare to pay for college.

Federal Student Aid
FINANCES
Understand exactly how FAFSA funds are distributed and benefit students with this tool from the US Department of Education.

College for All Texans
COLLEGE PLANNING | FINANCES
Find out your options on how to pay for college education costs. Understand tuition and fees, financial aid, and scholarships and loans.

Texas GEAR UP
COLLEGE PLANNING
High school students plan for college and career with resources provided by Texas GEAR UP. Interactive games and tools set them on the path to future success.

BigFuture
COLLEGE PLANNING
Learn what colleges offer your major, where you can get in, how much schools cost, and more with this College Board resource.

Your Bright Future
COLLEGE PLANNING | JOBS AND CAREERS
Use the resources on this site to help students explore careers. Your Bright Future is the Texas Workforce Commission hub for informing high school students about labor market Information.

Roadtrip Nation
JOBS AND CAREERS
Students travel across the nation to talk to their heroes and job crushes and understand college and career decisions along the way.

Khan Academy SAT Prep
COLLEGE PLANNING
Prepare students for the SAT with lessons and practice tests from this official partner of the College Board.

Texas Genuine
JOBS AND CAREERS | COLLEGE PLANNING
Texas Genuine enables students to explore future careers and take an assessment to understand their skills and interests. Students can use that information to explore college programs.

My Next Move
COLLEGE PLANNING | JOBS AND CAREERS
In this resource from the US Department of Labor, explore the skills, education, and even the personality traits necessary for various careers.

Common App Ready
APPLYING TO COLLEGE
The Common Application provides this resource full of college essay writing tips, guidance on college recommendations, understanding application fees, fee waivers, and more.
