#Texas oncourse free#

More than 2,500 educators across Texas provided feedback to improve the TXOC Academy.

#Texas oncourse free#

The TXOC Academy is a free online curriculum covering 28 topics such as choosing high school courses, comparing the SAT and ACT, and tips and tricks for researching options after high school. Last month UT Austin launched the Texas OnCourse (TXOC) Academy, the nation’s most comprehensive digital learning initiative, to improve college and career advising. “The mission of Texas OnCourse is to ensure that all middle and high school students, regardless of where they came from, have equitable access to information about higher education, financial aid and career opportunities,” said Keller. The result is a comprehensive suite of free, easy-to-use and inclusive resources for students, families and educators. The university partnered with state agencies, national educational organizations, employers and thousands of educators across the state in planning and development. Recognizing the growing burdens on middle and high school counselors and advisers, the 84 th Texas Legislature asked UT Austin to create online resources to support high school students’ college and career readiness. Texas OnCourse is designed to help solve these problems. They also lack access to training and need reliable sources of information about preparing students early for success in college and career.

If they do go to college, they are more likely to be disappointed in their college choice.Ī large part of the problem: Counselors, advisers and teachers often have unmanageable caseloads of 450 students or more. “Access to quality information about the economic benefits of higher education and informed advising about potential career opportunities are crucial for helping students and their families make these decisions,” said Harrison Keller, deputy to the president for strategy and policy and founder of Texas OnCourse.Īccording to a 2011 study by Public Agenda, students who are poorly counseled in high school are more likely to delay college and less likely to receive financial aid. Depending on the academic and career path a student chooses, the effect on earnings can be $1 million or more over a lifetime, according to the Georgetown University Center for Education and the Workforce. It is widely recognized that individuals with a bachelor’s degree earn more money throughout their lives than their peers who only receive a high school diploma. Texas OnCourse Leader Fellows Photo by W Martin Photography.