The Brownsville (Texas) Independent School District has experienced a sudden surge of interest in dual enrollment, which gives students both high school and college credit for completing college-level work.

The increase in participation, which jumped from 2,000 students in 2005 to 3,587 this year, is partly credited to a fee reduction for nonresidents of the state.

Due to a policy change at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, the fee for students regardless of their resident status is just $5, which the district pays. Previously, the charge for students living outside of Texas was more than $1,400 per course.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, The Achiever, November 2006

ON THE WEB

NASA SITE FOCUSES ON ASTRONOMY

Ask an Astronomer for Kids, a site sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, provides answers and photos for 200 common questions about astronomy and objects in space. Topics include planets, stars, the solar system, comets, asteroids, galaxies and the night sky.

Go to http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_kids/AskKids/index.shtml.

RESOURCES

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO FINANCE COLLEGE EDUCATION

Several myths surround the price of a higher education. Chief among them is: You can't afford college. The truth is, most college students require some form of financial aid. Don't ignore college because of its "sticker price." Students can receive a combination of grants, loans, scholarships or work study jobs to help reduce the cost. You may be surprised at what offers you receive. Here are a couple of places to go to help you through the financial-aid maze:

Scholarships: There are many good and free scholarship sources on the Internet. Check out www.fastweb.com or www.finaid.org for more information.

Need-based aid: Go to www.faf sa.ed.gov to get a copy of the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It's needed to qualify for need-based aid. After submitting the FAFSA, students receive a report that shows how much the government expects you to pay toward your child's education. If you aren't ready to file yet, visit www.act.org/fane/ to get an estimate of your expected family contribution.

Source: ACT Inc.