College Forward is here to support our students through the recent COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize that this has brought an enormous amount of change and uncertainty to the lives of many CoFo students. We have compiled the best resources we have seen to make sure you continue succeeding in College during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to these resources, please remember that you can always reach out to your CoFo coach with any questions you may have.
For College/University-specific questions, most institutions have established webpages specifically for COVID-19 information.
The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) has also compiled a list of resources that may have answers to questions not listed here.
Initial takeaways from the CARES Act provided by the National College Attainment Network.
General Resources
Telehealth options for AISD students and families
VIDA clinic (teletherapy)
Integral Care (mental health crisis hotline, textline)
Online support groups (general, substance abuse, eating recovery)
Articles, including some for parents/caregivers of children.
Remember: there are many hotlines that are specific to certain populations and needs. This may be helpful if you are experiencing heightened fear or concern as it relates to your situation or identity (e.g. if you are a survivor of family violence and are now having to spend more time at home). Some examples:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 24/7, confidential and free:1-800-799-7233 and through chat.
The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 24/7, confidential and free:800.656.HOPE (4673) and through chat.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline for domestic/sexual violence is available 7am-10pm CT, confidential, and specifically for Native communities:1−844-762-8483
The Trans LifeLine for peer support for trans folx 9am-3am CT:1-877-565-8860
This hotline is staffed exclusively by trans operators is the only crisis line with a policy against non-consensual active rescue.
National Parent Helpline Monday -Friday 12pm-9am CT emotional support and advocacy for parents:1-855-2736
Texas Department of State Health Services
TravisCounty.gov COVID-19 Information
COVID-19: Austin Information and Resources -English Version (Office of Austin City Council Member Greg Casar)
COVID-19: Información y Recursos de Austin –Spanish Version (Office of Austin City Council Member Greg Casar)
Central Texas Food Bank — Find Food Now
Aunt Bertha – a free search tool to help you find for free and reduced cost social services.
Austin ISD to distribute meals during school cancellations
Check out Shelter List or Aunt Bertha – a free search tool to help you find for free and reduced cost social services.
Spectrum is offering 60 days of free Wifi.
Comcast offers a free Internet Essentials service for 60 days to qualified low-income households. Additionally, Comcast will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if the customer contacts them.
Access from AT&T is a low-cost home internet package for qualifying individuals and households. To qualify, household must have at least one resident who participates in SNAP and the household must not have any outstanding debt owed to AT&T.
Comcast Internet Essentials, a low-cost home internet package for qualifying individuals and households, is now available for free for the first two months. You may qualify for the service if you are eligible for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others.
Check out Upwork for freelance jobs or DO512 Job Opportunities.
YMCA 360 – On-demand video classes
Google Arts & Culture – Take a virtual tour of some of the world’s greatest museums and heritage sites.
Virtual tours of National Parks
New York Public Library – Free ebook and audiobook downloads. Connect your OverDrive or Libby account for free, even outside of New York!
General College Resources
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators – Covid-19 updates
COVID-19 and Financial Aid Webinar (NASFAA) – slides, notes
Check out our Succeeding in Online Classes resource.
High School Students
AISD Coronavirus Updates
Students at Austin Independent School District will receive pass or incomplete grades for their classes this semester, not A-F grades, the school board decided Monday, April 6.
Students should contact admissions reps for answers to specific questions. Campuses may be closed but employees are telecommuting.
Some Texas schools are adjusting the due dates for deposits (generally May 1st) to June 1st, but plenty of schools are not adjusting deposit due dates. Students should check their school’s Office of Admissions webpage. Most schools are rescheduling New Student Orientations and sharing plans to host orientations virtually. Students should check individual school pages for instructions on how to attend their virtual New Student Orientation. Campus tours and in-person events have been canceled, but many schools are hosting virtual events.
The May 2nd SAT has been canceled. As of 4/15/2020, the June SAT is still on.
April’s test is rescheduled to June; students will not be automatically re-registered.
AP tests will be online free-response questions. The exam schedule will be available on April 3rd.
Students should talk with their high school counselor if they were planning to take the TSIA at their HS campus.
We haven’t seen official updates here yet, but encourage students to call the number listed for their ACC campus to get up to date info.
High School Graduates and College Students
University of Texas at Austin
For all courses* offered in Spring 2020, students will be given until after final grades are submitted, Friday, May 29, to change a course to Pass/Fail or Credit/No Credit.
University of Texas at San Antonio
UTSA will adopt an optional Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) “pass/fail” grading system for undergraduate and graduate courses for the Spring 2020 semester
Austin Community College
Austin Community College (ACC) will offer a Pass/No Pass option for students this spring semester in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) impact on classes.
The Division I Council on Monday voted to allow schools to provide spring-sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their period of eligibility.
We hope you find this list of resources valuable. We will constantly update this list and add to it throughout this semester to make sure you have everything you need to succeed in college during COVID-19. If you have a resource you’d like to share, feel free to drop us a line.
