Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE CITY, TEXAS – South Texas College’s Starr County Campus is now a testing site for the HiSet, high school equivalency exam.
The HiSet is one of two accepted exams, along with the G.E.D. as part of the Texas Education Agency’s High School Equivalency Program Operation (HSEP). HiSet is the first exam of its type in the area.
Adrian Lozano, STC Director of Testing Services says it’s something that has been missing for years in the western part of the RGV.
“Students from Starr Country had to travel to the McAllen area, or even further to come test,” Lozano said. “Now they don’t have to travel. They can do their test in Starr County and get everything they need.”
“This is for any student that needs to get their high school equivalency,” Lozano said. “It is offered in English and Spanish. This opens the doors to anybody who didn’t get their high school diploma to get into higher education, to get a job. Most employers require a high school equivalency like the GED. HiSet is one too, that’s approved by the state.”
The exam is divided into five sections: Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts -Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social studies.
The exam costs less than $30 per attempt.
The Student Assessment Center provides various examinations for the students entering South Texas College. Exams such as the TSI Assessment Exam, the American College Test (ACT), General Educational Development (GED), and many others from Pearson VUE are available. All exams are scheduled and administered throughout the year making it necessary to provide reservations for the various test types.
There is an assessment center at the Pecan Campus, Mid Valley Campus and Starr Campus and a GED Center at the Pecan Plaza.
“As I mentioned before, Starr Country is a very underrepresented community sometimes. We want to pay attention to them too,” Lozano said. “There are people coming from Mexico and they don’t have their education. If they want to pursue it here and they didn’t go to high school, they can get their high school equivalency.”
Lozano said that this will directly impact South Texas College and the greater community.
“This will open opportunities for them,” He said. “Because maybe they were unable to apply for a job or even come to us or any other higher-ed institution.”
For more information, visit STC’s home for testing online at https://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/testing/ or call one of the campuses assessment center offices.
