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Senior FAFSA Parent Letter - FAFSA requirement

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This packet includes all information delivered to seniors in the Fall of 2022.

Testing

Seniors planning to attend a 4 year university after graduation will need to take either the SAT or ACT to meet admissions requirements. 

**Some colleges/universities are test-optional for admission due to Covid-19.  Please check with all schools applying for the most updated information** 

Some universities practice "super-scoring," whereby they take the best of each subsection grade from the SAT or ACT across test administration dates. For example a student that scores a 500 on verbal on the November SAT but a 600 on the December SAT will have the 600 considered in admissions, regardless if the overall composite score was lower. For this reason it is advisable to take both the SAT and ACT twice. 

Students on free and reduced lunch may qualify for a testing waiver, allowing them to register for two SAT and two ACT tests at no cost. Students should see their counselor to obtain a waiver.  Students who use a fee waiver for ACT or SAT may also qualify for a college application fee waiver.

To sign up for the SAT visit 

To sign up for the ACT visit 

TSI/Accuplacer

All two year and four year public schools in Texas require students meet standard on the TSI in order to enroll in classes. Students should take this test during senior year. Some students may be exempt from testing on the basis of their SAT/ACT scores or STARR results. Counselors are able to inform students if they are exempt. 

The TSI will be offered with limited space availability during the school year for students planning to attend TCC after graduation. 

Students who need the TSI for TCC or other colleges/universities are able to take the test on the TCC campus for a nominal fee.

To learn more about the TSI visit  

TSI Exemption

Are you exempt from the TSI?

Accuplacer Student Portal

Click to check your TSI scores

SAT Subject Tests

Some colleges require that students take SAT Subject Tests for admissions purposes. These are typically required by top-tier universities such as Rice or Columbia. These tests are only administered on specific SAT administration dates. Some schools may require these for admissions only into specific majors. Students are advised to check with the colleges to which they are applying to see if these tests are required. 

To learn more about SAT Subject Tests visit 

College Applications 

Two common applications exist that allow students to apply to most colleges on the same platform. is the common platform for all public, and some private, Texas colleges and universities. The Common App, which can be found at , allows students to apply to out of state and private schools on a common platform. Students are able to create free accounts on both sites and complete multiple applications on the same platform. Students are highly advised to save their usernames and passwords for these accounts in a safe and readily accessible location.

To create an account with Apply Texas visit 

To create an account with the Common App visit 

College Application Fee Waiver for students who qualify

Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens on October 1st. 

The FAFSA determines a student's eligibility for federal grants, work-study, and loans based off of income, household size, and number of family members in college. Colleges and universities utilize the information on the FAFSA to addtionally determine need-based financial aid that a student may receive directly from the school. Some schools require an additional document called the CSS profile. This is a more in-depth financial aid form to better help determine eligibility for need based institutional aid, and has no bearing on federal aid. 

Non-citizens/Permanent Residents:

The Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) is used to collect information to help determine eligibility for state financial aid programs that are administered by institutions of higher education in the state of Texas. Students that are classified as a Texas Resident who cannot apply for federal financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are encouraged to complete the TASFA. 

The Texas state priority deadline for many institutions of higher education is January 15.  RHS counselors recommend that all students fill out the FAFSA/TASFA as early as possible, regardless of their post-secondary plans.  

To create an FSA ID visit 

To fill out the FAFSA visit 

To Fill out the TASFA visit

A Student's Guide to Your First Year of College

General Information for Financial Aid provided by UT Arlington

Scholarships

Colleges and universities offer scholarships directly from the institution. These are generally a mix of merit and need-based scholarships. Information on these scholarships can be found on each college/university financial aid webpage. 

The RHS Counselors have compiled a list of valid scholarships that can be found at /domain/8427

The internet offers scholarship search services, but beware of scams. Scholarship searches asking for a fee should be avoided, as these can be found on your own at no cost. 

The following have scholarship opportunities for all students:

The following databases contain scholarships and financial aid information for immigrant students (DACA and/or Undocumented students):

•  (Scroll about halfway down to view scholarships, but this site also contains helpful information about paying for school)

Transcripts

Please click here for more information.

Dual Credit

Students that have obtained dual credit through TCC, TWU, or UTA during their time at Richland must send an official transcript directly from that college or university to the university they will be attending after graduation. Students make these requests for transcripts through the individual colleges and are solely responsible for ensuring this takes place. 

For more information on Dual Credit at RHS visit the or websites.

College Visits

Students are encouraged to attend college preview days or scheduled college tours for the colleges/univerisities they are interested in. Check the individual college websites for dates that events are taking place or contact the admissions office to schedule a visit. 

RHS Students are allowed 2 absences for college visit days during both 11th and 12th grade. The attendance office is able to provide details on attendance requirements for your visit. 

NCAA

If a student plans to play Division I or II athletics in college, they must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. The application can be found at

Be sure to create a PIN number and keep it in a secure place so that you will be able to access your records, and let your counselor know to send your transcripts. 

For more information on NCAA visit 

For detailed instructions on NCAA and creating an account through the NCAA eligibility center, visit

Students on free or reduced lunch may qualify for a fee waiver.  Students must create an account first, then notify your counselor to request a fee waiver.