By Richard Stone
Alamo Colleges has enacted a plan to assist students financially in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Keep Learning Plan was made to partner with students to make sure they complete their courses and make it to graduation. The plan is a result of student feedback, Dr. Mike Flores, chancellor of the Alamo Colleges district, said April 28.
The plan is made of four parts, and they are in effect for 2020 only, according to an April 24 release from Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of communications.
The first part is Expanded Summer Momentum.
The district is offering 6 hours of free summer classes for part-time students and 9 hours for full-time students, according to the release.
The former Summer Momentum allowed 3 hours for part-time students and 6 hours for full-time students, Wyatt said.
Qualifying students also need to be enrolled in the spring 2020 semester and have a GPA of 2.0 as of May 1, according to the release.
Last summer, 7,557 students were eligible for 3 free class hours, and 6,133 students were eligible for 6 hours. Only 7,171 students took advantage of the free class hours for both categories combined, Wyatt said.
More than 15,500 students are projected to benefit from Summer Momentum this year, according to the release.
The second part is Clean Slate.
Clean Slate pays off up to $500 of an outstanding, student balance from the fall 2019 and spring 2020 semesters, according to the release.
The amount paid off will not exceed the student’s balance as of May 1, and the $500 scholarship will apply to balances of more than $500, according to the release.
The amount set aside to pay off student balances is $2.2 million, an investment which will affect 8,400 students, according to the release.
The third part is $1 Payment Plans.
The fee to create a tuition payment plan for fall 2020 is reduced from $25 to $1; this could impact more than 14,000 students, according to the release.
The fourth part is No Cost Testing.
“The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) test, which usually costs $32, is being offered at no cost between May 1 and June 20, 2020,” according to the release.
“The Texas Success Initiative is a state-required assessment test to determine college-readiness in reading, writing, and math. All first-time college students must take the TSI test before enrolling in classes unless you are exempt,” the release states.
Nearly 5,000 students will benefit from free TSI testing, according to the release.
The district is also working closely with the Alamo Colleges Foundation and its Student Impact Fund, which helps students meet their basic needs.
For more information about the Keep Learning Plan, visit https://www.alamo.edu/keeplearning.
Email Wyatt at kwyatt12@alamo.edu.