COLLEGE

A few of our favorite celebrities are headed back to school in the new series on BET+.

Local financial professional Ryan Wheless from Allied Wealth joined KPRC 2′s Owen Conflenti and Amy Davis on KPRC 2+ Friday to share his insights on 529 savings plans for education costs. Watch the full interview in the segment at the top of the page.

Groups across the state of Virginia work all year long to get students registered to vote in high school and college -- the idea being, if these students start young, they’ll vote their entire lives.

College classes are over for Jarel Brown, however, he’s still on the hunt for answers and now it’s graduation week.

Texas A&M University has named a Head Yell Leader for the upcoming academic year -- Zac Cross, a senior from Pearland, Texas.

University of St. Thomas, St. John Methodist Church and Cisco will participate in a special ceremony Wednesday to unveil a partnership designed to “educate, empower and create a bright future” for youth in foster care.

With the big NCAA Tournament tournament quickly approaching, don’t you want to be ready to blow your spouse’s mind by knowing exactly what’s going on?

An 18-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder after the teenager died in hospital.

At Village Plumbing and Air on Kirby Drive, their workers are always on the go.

The historic Prairie View A&M University marching band, The Marching Storm, is the focus of a new docuseries that debuts Jan. 24.

The COVID surge is continually impacting the Houston area, and now, local institutions are taking action in efforts to prevent the spread on their campuses.

How to get help and steps to take.

Now that the school year is well underway and students are off to the races for another year of learning and studying, we thought we’d ask: Can we see your pictures?

Houston’s Rice University has been ranked 7th best overall in colleges across the U.S.

The University of Houston is taking the national stage with the debut of a new TV commercial for the institution.

Guest: Dr. Steven Starks

By the end of the U.S. head count last year, the Census Bureau lacked data for residents in almost a fifth of the nation's occupied college dorms, nursing homes and prisons.

A Republican advocacy group is withdrawing its request for a court order seeking the immediate release of Census Bureau records.

Houston native, Diana Gonzalez Mejia, won the Project Yellow Light contest for her Billboard.

Texas Southern University has named Brian Simmons as the new Director of The Ocean of Soul Marching Band and an instructor in the Music Department.

San Jacinto College received an anonymous donation that will pay for tuition for up to three years for every student graduating in 2021 from the schools in its taxing district.

Davidson College recently apologized for its ties to slavery and amended its bylaws to allow more non-Christians to serve in key leadership roles.

Summer is a great time for Houstonians to learn new skills for a better career.

HOUSTON – When a local mom lost her job, her 18-year-old daughter decided to drain her savings to keep a roof over their heads. Alondra Carmona sacrificed her dream of going to college to save her family. She planned to use that money to go to her dream school -- Barnard College. “It made me really sad,” Carmona said. AdIf you would like to help by contributing to Carmona’s school expenses, go to her GoFundMe page.

HOUSTON – The University of Houston will begin offering doctoral degrees in nursing after the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board voted unanimously to approve the program. Nursing shortages, especially primary care providers, nursing educators and leaders, prompted the program’s approval, according to a news release from the university. Founding Dean and Professor of UH’s College of Nursing Kathryn Dean said students who take national certification exams such as the NLCEX-RN score a 100% pass-rate average while on the program, bringing a competitive nursing education to a diverse student population. The university’s College of Nursing said the need for nurses with advanced degrees will jump up to 46% in the next 10 years. Learn more about the program or apply for the fall 2021 semester by clicking here.

Even in normal times, freshman year in college can be a jumbled mix of anticipation, uncertainty and emotional highs and lows. In these hardly normal times, when the quintessential college experience exists only in catalogs, freshmen are being challenged like never before. He lives at home and said it’s often too distracting to focus on online classes so he spends his time on other pursuits. He found that daily campus life begins with temperature checks before breakfast and color-coded stickers to wear indicating no fever. A reserved 18-year-old from Indianapolis, she has already decided to go home and finish the rest of freshman year with online classes.

HOUSTON – As the first day of early voting begins Tuesday, Mayor Sylvester Turner is encouraging young people to participate in the 2020 election. Turner is joining students at two college campus events to announce the Mayor’s Early Vote College Challenge to inspire the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and Rice University students to vote early. “Voting matters, who you vote for matters, and this election matters," Mayor Turner told students at a rally at the University of Houston. Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election begins Oct. 13 and ends Oct. 30. Click here to find early voting locations and hours in Harris County.

HOUSTON – Rapper Travis Scott was in a charitable mood Wednesday night as he offered to pay the tuition of five students that currently attend historically black colleges and universities. THAT ATTENDS AN HBCU https://t.co/5eQ6YXQMc5 — TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) October 7, 2020Scott said he plans to cover tuition for the students' first semesters. Wild — TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) October 7, 2020The rapper even announced two of the five selectees on the social media platform. https://t.co/t2Hrvqz5Cw — TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) October 7, 2020My mom always wanted me to go here.!!!! https://t.co/VwWwr0SswO — TRAVIS SCOTT (@trvisXX) October 7, 2020This is sure to be a gift they’ll never forget because, after all, a college education can be expensive.

HOUSTON – As the school year progresses, high school students and parents will soon begin to look at colleges and universities. Whether it’s a local community college or a university out of state, this year the road to a future career is looking a bit different in the midst of COVID-19. Watch: Raising ‘good digital citizens’ and more from our Zoom conversation on cyberbullyingOn Thursday, local experts from Project GRAD Houston, College Readiness for the YMCA of Greater Houston, Lee College, Houston Community College and Houston ISD joined KPRC'2 Ask 2 Live for a discussion about college preparedness. Contact our PanelistsVeronica Lawrence, Program Manager, Project GRAD Houston, vlawrence@projectgradhouston.orgCarl Husband, Ed.D . - Assistant Registrar & Director of Admissions, Lee College, chusband@lee.eduAlyska Malveaux - Association Director of College Readiness, YMCA of Greater Houston, Alyska.malveaux@ymcahouston.orgVanessa Grover - Program Director, Outreach & Recruitment, Houston Community College, Vanessa.grover@hccs.eduMichael Love - Executive Director of Career Readiness, Houston ISD, mlove@houstonisd.orgResources:Finding a CollegeBigFuture CollegeBoardCollegeXpressCollege GreenlightScholarshipsCollege Scholarships.orgNicheScholarships.comFastwebAdditional ResourcesMake an appointment with a GRAD advisorYMCA HoustonGRADcafe

That’s compared to 23% in counties with a smaller proportion of students, including larger metropolitan areas like Houston and Dallas that also house universities. The Texas counties where university students make up the biggest share of the population are home to Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sul Ross State University, Sam Houston State University, and several A&M campuses, including the flagship in College Station, Tarleton State University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University-Commerce. Since Aug. 1, Texas Tech has logged more than 1,400 cases of COVID-19, including at least 1,266 among students. “It’s not about me,” Cook said, in a mantra he has repeated to college students. Disclosure: Prairie View A&M University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University System, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas System, University of Texas at El Paso and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

Her daughter Hilary is a senior at Glenda Dawson High School in the Pearland Independent School District. He’s a senior at Strake Jesuit High School and says the “new normal” is anything but. Financial aidProjectGRAD Houston is a free resource for parents and students which helps them with college and career prep. Check and update your college listDue to COVID-19, many colleges and universities have made changes to their admissions deadlines and important dates. The experts suggest that you need to make sure you’re informed about the school’s most up-to-date deadlines and information.

Houston education expert shares tips to navigate fall semester | HOUSTON LIFE | KPRC 2Published: August 21, 2020, 4:40 pmWhether they return to campus or they learn at a virtual classroom, all college students deserve to thrive amid this challenging semester. Ibrahim first, chief educational consultant at Firat Education, shares academic, financial and social tips to help them navigate this new landscape.

(AP) Notre Dame University on Tuesday canceled in-person undergraduate classes for two weeks after a spike of coronavirus cases that occurred since the semester began Aug. 10. John Jenkins says he decided against sending students home after consulting with health care experts. Jenkins said there have been 147 confirmed cases of coronavirus on campus since the start of classes. It is very serious and we must take serious actions, Jenkins said in an address to students and staff. Tuesdays action by Notre Dame follows the decision by officials of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to switch to remote learning starting Wednesday.

The statue of George Washington outside the University of Texas at Austin Main Building on July 16, 2020. The group, Students for Fair Admissions, is a nonprofit of "more than 20,000 students, parents and others" who believe that racial classifications and preferences in college admissions are "unfair, unnecessary, and unconstitutional," according to the group's website. In 2018, about 75 percent of UT-Austin students received automatic admission to the school through the Top 10 Percent Rule, a state law that offers admission to Texas students near the top of their high school class. The university has factored race and ethnicity into its admissions decisions for the remaining applicants since 2003, when a different U.S. Supreme Court ruling declared race-based affirmative action constitutional. "The university is reviewing the new lawsuit from (Students for Fair Admissions)," said J.B. Bird, a UT-Austin spokesperson, in a statement.

HOUSTON Lone Star College students can receive extra help by applying for financial assistance for the fall semester. In a release on Tuesday, students who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can find financial help thanks to the CARES Act. This special funding is specifically intended for students who have been impacted by the coronavirus, said Stephen C. Head, Lone Star College chancellor. The college system said with the availability of CARES Act funding, Lone Star College will provide 5,000 laptops for students in the fall, in an effort to close the digital divide. In addition to CARES Act funding, students can also apply for various other methods of financial aid, such as grants, scholarships, and work-study programs.

They care more about the money than the students, said Alan, a student at the University of Houston student. Alan, like many students and parents, is frustrated over unchanged tuition costs despite the move to online learning. The University of Texas at Austin said the cost will be the same for in-person or virtual classes. Meanwhile, information from UH shows only a $3 difference between tuition costs for online and in-person classes. Hodges says she is locked into an off-campus lease during a time when the school is opting for virtual learning.

New visas would not be issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, which includes Harvard. Colleges say the policy puts students safety at risk and hurts schools financially. Immigration officials, however, say they told colleges all along that any guidance prompted by the pandemic was subject to change. They say the rule is consistent with existing law barring international students from taking classes entirely online. Federal officials say they are providing leniency by allowing students to keep their visas even if they study online from abroad this fall.

Elite 11 Finalist. Elite 11 quarterback. 6 and then in the final rankings he made it among the Elite 11. "Elite 11 was always a dream of mine," Drones said. During the Elite 11, Drones enjoyed learning from the coaches and getting to know the other quarterbacks.

HOUSTON International students who are pursuing degrees in the United States will have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities switch to online-only courses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Monday. The move may affect thousands of foreign students who come to the United States to attend universities or participate in training programs, as well as non-academic or vocational studies. Universities nationwide are beginning to make the decision to transition to online courses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. As of January, there were 365 primary school students and 2,362 secondary school students in Texas who are on a student visa. The agency suggested that students currently enrolled in the US consider other measures, like transferring to schools with in-person instruction.

Houston If you have a college student at home, or you are one, you may be able to get an emergency pandemic grant to help with expenses. Congress set aside $6 billion for emergency grants for college students. This is money that does not have to be paid back. Your first stop should be your school's financial aid office because each university has its own application process. The grants are supposed to cover expenses caused by campus disruptions because of coronavirus closures.

HOUSTON Houston-area parents are playing the waiting game as schools release their 2020-2021 academic calendars and introduce possible reopening scenarios for returning students. We asked the question: What do you think your kids school needs most to be safely prepared for the 2020-2021 school year? How can they be expected to stay 6 apart when returning to school? Humble ISD is giving an option for rotational schedules for at school learning, but they do not have any plans set in place for how they will execute social distancing. Also allowing the parents who choose to keep their kid(s) home can still do remote learning through the school.

(CNN) The list of athletics programs in universities across the US reporting coronavirus cases is growing. See the list of impacted schools below:Arkansas StateSeven athletes from three of the school's sports programs tested positive in early June. "Clemson has notified and isolated each of those individuals who tested positive for a period of at least 10 days. University of AlabamaSeveral University of Alabama football players tested positive for coronavirus in early June, according to multiple reports, including Sports Illustrated and AL.com. 10 other football players will self-isolate due to contact tracing, "all of whom are asymptomatic at this time."

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – This year, more than 3.8 million students in the U.S. will graduate from college. It should be an exciting time, but college grads are entering a depleted workforce during a global financial crisis. “I had investment banking job interviews, and I had a bunch of interviews set up for this spring and they all got canceled for obvious reasons,” said Joe Kiyosaki, a 2020 college graduate. Still, there are ways to improve your chances of getting a job when it all ends. Other challenges for grads: traditional job fairs and interviews are pretty much nonexistent.

The Academic Building on the Texas A&M University campus on March 26, 2018. Sharp also emphasized the need for A&M's student population to reflect that of the state. Currently, white students comprise more than half of the student population at A&M's College Station campus, while black students make up less than 4%, according to 2019 data. Hispanic and Asian students students make up 21% and 8% of the student population, respectively. Disclosure: The Texas A&M University System has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas Prairie View A&M University President Ruth Simmons has announced the university is launching a Center for Race and Justice and will require a mandatory class on the history of race for incoming students as a response to the death of Houston native George Floyd and other similar murders that have taken place across the United States. Now we must call upon that identity to give us guidance and succor in the coming period.Simmons said as soon as it is approved, incoming students will be required to take a course on the History of Race and Class in the United States. Led by Professor Melanye Price, the center will serve as a resource to encourage teaching and scholarship that contributes positively to overturning systematic biases that impede the ability of minorities and other groups to be accorded their full rights under the U.S. Constitution, Simmons said. Simmons believes the death of Floyd is a catalyst to implement actions that can have a lasting impact on the historically black college, the students and surrounding communities. Click here to read Simmons entire letter.

With his love for video games and petty arguments with his older sister, Jack Rico might seem like any other 13-year-old. But Rico is anything but average: the teenager just graduated with four associate's degrees -- and he did it in just two years. Rico graduated from Fullerton College in California last weekend, making him the youngest student to achieve that feat in the school's 107-year-old history, the college confirmed to CNN. But Fullerton College President Greg Schulz said Rico can't help but stick out from the crowd. "Jack is wise beyond his years, and I'm so pleased that he found a home and place to excel at Fullerton College."

(CNN) The University of California (UC) is suspending ACT and SAT tests as an admissions requirement until 2024. The Board of Regents unanimously voted on Thursday to waive the standardized testing requirements for applicants, the university system announced in a news release. If a new test does not meet the specified criteria in time for admissions for fall of 2025, UC will eliminate the standardized testing requirement for California students, according to the news release. UC will continue to keep standardized testing optional through 2022. An increasing number of universities are dropping the SAT and ACT requirement for fall 2021 admissions in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

HOUSTON – Two Texas schools have been ranked among the top 25 community colleges in America. Niche.com put out its annual best colleges list, where it ranks public and private schools across the nation in categories like academics, value, diversity, and even party scene. According to the 2020 ranking for best two-year community colleges, San Jacinto College and Northwest Vista College were ranked 13 and 21 respectively among the top 25. Northwest Vista College also received a B+ and As in the same four categories, but students who graduate tend to make a lower starting salary of $28,900. Head to Niche.com’s Best Colleges ranking to see where other Texas schools landed on the list.

Hard-working parents like Samantha Miller are desperately trying to get laptop computers for the children. Thanks to Comp-U-Dopt, Miller’s children are getting a free laptop to use at home. How to get a free laptop? If you would like to register to get a free laptop computer for your children, you must log onto the Comp-U-Dopt website at noon daily to register. If you have a used laptop you can donate, you can visit the website for more information.

16 Wichita State 65-54 on Saturday, beating a ranked team in a very difficult environment, Sampson thought back to this season’s origins. But holding Wichita State (15-3, 3-2 American) to 22 points below its season average and to just one double-digit scorer (Tyson Etienne with 10) was the Cougars’ biggest achievement. A Wichita State team looking to bounce back at home from its second loss of the season managed just 25 first-half points. “We’ve got to play like we were before we were ranked.”SWAT TEAMHouston had nine blocked shots to none for Wichita State. Wichita State: At South Florida on Tuesday.

HOUSTON – Houston-area students can start pursuing their bachelor’s degrees for a fraction of the cost at Lone Star College. The community college will offer bachelor’s degrees of applied technology in cybersecurity (BAT), of science in nursing (RN-BSN) and of applied science in energy manufacturing and trades management (BAS). 🥳We received approval to offer bachelor’s degree programs, including Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Bachelor of Applied... Posted by Lone Star College on Wednesday, December 11, 2019The acceptance rate at Lone Star is currently 100-percent; however, the bachelor’s degree programs will be competitive. Officials for Lone Star state online, “The Bachelor of Science, Nursing (RN-BSN) is selective entry. For more information, visit Lone Star online.

College students used to have limited say in who they would get for a dorm roommate. But now, hundreds of universities and colleges worldwide are turning to software programs that help pair students using surveys and matching algorithms. CNET.com's Kara Tsuboi reports on how this technology aims to lower the number of bad roommate pairings and improve student satisfaction.