The Texas OnCourse Educator Blog

Students with disabilities may face more obstacles than their peers during the college application process. The College Board offers test accommodations to help students with disabilities obtain the same opportunities for higher education as other students.

Academic undermatch occurs when students would qualify academically for admittance to a college or university that is more selective than the alternative they choose. For example, a student would be academically undermatched if their achievements permitted them to attend Harvard, but the student chose to attend a local community college or not attend college at all. Assisting students with building a well-balanced and comprehensive college list plays an important role in avoiding academic undermatch. Research shows academic undermatch as a potential source of low and stagnant college completion rates, and low-income students are more likely to undermatch. 

When preparing students and their families to complete college applications, one of the most important aspects is to help them understand the various types of admission options that are available. A student's selected colleges may offer the following admission options: Early Action (EA) I or II, Early Decision (ED) I or II, Restrictive Early Action (REA), and Regular Decision I or II. Review and share the following document to help your students learn more about each option.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a series of aptitude tests that evaluates developed abilities in order to predict future academic and professional success in the military. 

Use this handy document to review the course requirements for each of the five endorsements on the Foundation High School Program. 

What are endorsements? 

For parents and guardians, hearing that their eighth grader will have to select an endorsement can be confusing. After all, when today’s adults were in school, such a thing didn’t exist!

Today, we have two short updates for you. First, a new resource for mental health from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). And second, new information from the Coordinating Board on how COVID-19 has affected dual credit.

School is underway, and it’s looking different in many parts of Texas and the country. While some counselors and educators are delivering in-person support, most are entirely virtual or somewhere in-between, offering hybrid instruction. We decided to talk to six veteran Texas school counselors to collect tips for virtual school counseling during COVID-19.

Financial aid season is quickly approaching. We want to make sure you’re teed up to help your students afford college. This week, we’ll walk you through some new and existing information and resources and review trusted financial aid tips during COVID-19.

2020 has been full of unique challenges for educators and students. Many of you are juggling shifting deadlines, new enrollment processes, and new systems for sending students to college this year. In our September 2020 webinar, we break down how to help students plan for college during COVID-19 and share resources to keep you on track. More resources like those in this webinar can be found in the Texas OnCourse Academy under College Costs, Admissions and Application Process, and Financial Aid Application Process.