Texas OnCourse Partners with State and National Leaders to Limit Effect of COVID-19 on Texas College Enrollment

Austin, Texas – Texas OnCourse has partnered with industry leaders and state agencies to release new resources to maintain Texas college enrollment despite the challenges of COVID-19. These resources include College and Career Support from Texas College Bridge and Future Focused TX. 

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail the postsecondary plans of students across the country. Some experts expect as much as a 20% reduction in four-year college enrollment. With the addition of these new resources to its existing portfolio, Texas OnCourse is taking significant measures to ensure that students achieve their goals. The resources include:

• College and Career Support from Texas College Bridge: Texas OnCourse developed a new advising guide for counselors, advisers, and other educators supporting students enrolled in the Texas College Bridge program. This guide is free for all Texas educators, enabling them to support students in attaining college readiness.
• Future Focused TX: This campaign supports Texas counselors and high school students with free digital resources. It targets college persistence and matriculation for the class of 2020. It also aims to reduce COVID’s impact on FAFSA completion and college admission for the class of 2021.

Partners in these efforts include TEA, College Forward, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Get Schooled, TxCAN, and United for College Success. 

“The threat COVID-19 poses to our students’ postsecondary aspirations could have devastating effects for both our students and the state,” said Laura Brennan, director of Texas OnCourse. “We are proud to stand with a coalition of partners committed to supporting students through this challenging time.”

For more information about College and Career Support from Texas College Bridge, visit texasoncourse.org/tools/college-and-career-support-from-texas-college-bridge/. For more information about Future Focused TX, visit texasoncourse.org/tools/future-focused-tx/. For more information on how educators can help students stay on course for college and career during COVID-19, visit our blog.

###

Media Contact:
Allison Rizzolo
Texas OnCourse
e: allison.rizzolo@austin.utexas.edu