College Connection

A Welcome Note

What is the College Connection?

HCC College Connection is a program geared toward assisting and supporting students to transition from high school to college, helping to remove the barriers that cause frustration and confusion.

College Connection reaches out to high school students, providing them with sound knowledge of options and interests that build confidence and the character to succeed. The hands-on assistance affords students the opportunity for early preparation into college.

Houston Community College provides support for College Connection through the admissions process, testing, financial aid, counseling - advisement & career exploration.

Financial Assistance

Scholarships
As part of the seven steps of College Connection, students are required to apply for scholarship assistance from the Houston Community College System Foundation. The application form can only be completed and submitted online.

Students who complete the online application will be considered for all HCCS Foundation scholarships for which they are eligible.

Financial Aid
Students may also receive financial assistance in the form of grants and loans by applying for financial aid at www.fafsa.org and www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Please visit the Financial Aid section to learn more about the financial aid process.

Participating Schools

Steps To College Connection

College Connection combines everything you need to get ready for college into one easy program. Regardless of where you plan to attend college (although we hope you want to begin at HCC), many of the initial steps you need to take are the same. College Connection here at HCC provides you with assistance to complete the admission process to make your transition into higher education easy and less confusing.

1) Admission Application – You must apply for any college you choose to attend. College Connection will provide you with hands-on assistance when applying online.

2) Testing – All colleges require students to be tested. The tests indicate abilities in areas such as reading, writing and mathematics. Many students take either the SAT or ACT tests while in high school. In College Connection, we will help you prepare for and take the ASSET or COMPASS and ACT tests.

3) Financial Aid – Many students qualify for financial aid from the federal or state governments. This is often a difficult and confusing process. College Connection will help you walk through the online application process.

4) Career Exploration – We will work with you to examine your interests and aptitudes to determine what jobs or careers you should pursue.

5) Academic Advising – College Connection will work with you to determine what courses you should take and what your program major should be.

6) Orientation – We will give you the knowledge and skills that you need to succeed in college — study skills, note taking, time management and accessing college and services. We will inform you of special programs and services available at HCC.

7) Campus Tour – Finally, we will provide you with the opportunity to visit a nearby HCC campus to meet with faculty and staff to assist you with your next steps.

To begin, go to the Contact Us page and contact our representative near you.

What Students Get

College Connection students receive:

• • Access to college/help getting started
  • Assistance with financial aid forms
  • Student life information
  • Career planning
  • Testing
  • Admissions application
  • College tour
  • Orientation and advising
  • HCC acceptance letter at graduation
  • Registration for HCC classes

College Connection also offers students:

• • Credit/academic/workforce courses
  • Continuing education courses
  • Distance learning courses
  • Dual credit and tech prep courses
  • Scholarship opportunities
  • Adult ED/GED/ESL
  • Access to libraries

Welcome to College Connection

What is College Connection?

HCC College Connection is a program geared toward assisting and supporting students to transition from high school to college, helping to remove the barriers that cause frustration and confusion.

College Connection reaches out to high school students, providing them with sound knowledge of options and interests that build confidence and the character to succeed. The hands-on assistance affords students the opportunity for early preparation into college.

Houston Community College provides support for College Connection through the admissions process, testing, financial aid, counseling - advisement, and career exploration.

Steps to College Connection

College Connection combines everything you need to get ready for college into one easy program. Regardless of where you plan to attend college, although we hope you want to begin at HCC, many of the initial steps you need to take are the same. College Connection at HCC provides you with assistance to complete the admissions process to make your transition into higher education easy and less challenging.

1) Admissions Application – All students wishing to attend HCC must submit an HCC Admissions Application. College Connection will provide you with hands-on assistance when applying online.

Submit an HCC Admissions Application at: www.hccs.edu/application.

2) Testing – All colleges require students to be tested. The tests measure your college level readiness in areas such as Reading, Writing, and Mathematics prior to enrollment. 

For more information on testing visit: www.hccs.edu/testing.

3) Financial Aid – Many students qualify for financial aid from the federal or state governments. This is often a difficult but necessary process. College Connection is available to assist you with the online application process.

For the Free Application for Federal Student Aid visit: www.fafsa.ed.gov.

4) Academic Advising – College Connection will work with you to determine what courses you should take and your intended major.

To seek Advising help visit: www.hccs.edu/advising

5) Career Exploration – We will work with you to examine your interests and aptitudes to determine what jobs or careers you should pursue.

Visit the TypeFocus website: careers.typefocus.com.

To begin, go to the Contact Us page and contact your High School Counselor or College Access Coordinator.

Benefits

Participating Schools and School Districts

Financial Assistance

Financial Aid
Students may also receive financial assistance in the form of grants and loans by applying for financial aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Please visit the Financial Aid section to learn more about the financial aid process.