Dear OnRamps Parent:
Your student is enrolled in a new and innovative dual-credit program coordinated by The University
of Texas at Austin. The program, called OnRamps, is designed to help your student be more
successful in college by exposing him or her to a rigorous, high-quality, college-level course. Each
OnRamps course matches an existing course taught at UT Austin and is designed to prepare
students for the kinds of work and ways of thinking expected in college. Students have the
opportunity to earn credit from The University of Texas at Austin through University Extension
based on their academic performance. This letter is designed to introduce you to the OnRamps
course your child is taking, and answer some questions you may have about the program.
What can my student and I expect from the OnRamps Course?
 A yearlong experience that will challenge your student to master UT Austin developed
content, assignments, and assessments.
 A high school teacher who has participated in extensive training by and who receives ongoing support from UT Austin faculty and staff.
 Homework will consist of online skill practice, discussion boards, or portions of class
exploration assignments.
 Access to and regular use of the educational technology that students use at UT Austin.
 The opportunity to earn three hours of college credit from UT Austin that count toward the
university’s required Core Curriculum and transfer widely to other colleges within Texas and
beyond.
How can my student earn college credit for this course?
This fall, your student is enrolled in a yearlong course taught by a high school teacher for high
school credit, as they would be ordinarily. In this class, the high school teacher uses OnRamps
course materials developed at UT Austin.
 During the fall semester: If your student successfully completes a series of required
assignments* with a grade of 75% or better, they will be eligible to enroll in an
undergraduate course for the opportunity to earn college credit in the spring semester.
 During the spring semester: If your student successfully completes a series of additional
required assignments*, your student will be awarded college credit and receive an official
UT Austin transcript.
You should know that the grade for the high school course may differ from that for the college
course, as the assignments that will determine each grade may be slightly different.
*See the attached table for the required college assignments.
What if my student does not meet the eligibility requirements for the opportunity to earn college
credit?
If your student does not meet the eligibility requirements to enroll in the spring college course, or
enrolls and then chooses to drop the college course, s/he can remain enrolled in the high school
course during the spring semester for the opportunity to earn high school credit. Even though s/he
will not have the opportunity to earn college credit, s/he will have the advantage of experiencing
the rigor of and developing the academic habits expected in a UT Austin level course while still in
high school.
If my student is eligible to earn college credit, what are the different options for how my student
might receive a grade for the college course?
Your student may either elect to enroll in the spring college course for a letter grade or they may
take the course pass/fail.
 If your student takes the course for a letter grade, the letter grade they earn for the course
will appear on their transcript.
 If your student takes the class pass/fail, the transcript will not show a letter grade but only
that the student passed or failed the class. A letter grade of a D+ or better is considered
passing.
Your student must elect his or her grade preference at the end of the fall semester when eligibility
to enroll in the spring college course is determined. For help making this choice, please see the
Frequently Asked Questions section on the OnRamps website (www.onramps.org), and follow up
with your student’s teacher if you have additional questions.
What if my student enrolls to earn college credit but then performs poorly on college
assignments?
If your student is enrolled in the spring college course, s/he may drop the course at any time
without penalty if s/he is dissatisfied with his/her performance. In fact, we encourage students who
will earn less than a B, or who are not on track to earn the pass, to drop the course so that their
performance will not adversely impact their college transcript in future years.
Is there a cost for OnRamps?
OnRamps charges a fee of $180 per student for access to UT Austin course materials, technology
tools, tuition, and the opportunity to earn credit.
 Payment is accepted by credit card via the online registration website or by check. Your
student will begin the online registration process in class during the first days of school, and
will be able to complete it at home with you. The deadline to finalize registration is Friday,
September 12, 2014. If payment is not made by this date, your student will be reassigned to
a non-OnRamps section of the course, and may not have the opportunity to earn college
credit.
Can I get a refund if my student is evaluated as ineligible to earn college credit?
Students may drop out of the OnRamps dual-credit program and request a refund for each course
up until October 3, 2014 (six weeks after school begins). After October 3, 2014, however, no
refunds will be given, even if your student does not meet the eligibility requirement to enroll in the
spring college course at the end of the fall semester. This is because your student will still be using
UT Austin course materials throughout the year, and a UT Austin faculty member will still have
evaluated her/his work in the fall.
How will information about my student’s academic performance be communicated?
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents have the right to review their
student’s high school records, but students have primary control over access to
postsecondary/college records. You may communicate with your student’s high school teacher
about your student’s high school grade as you currently do. However, the UT Austin faculty
member is not allowed to communicate with you regarding your student’s college grade. OnRamps
encourages you to respect your student's ownership of his/her education record at the college
level by seeking information and updates on your student’s experience and performance through
conversations with your student. The UT Austin faculty member will regularly attempt to
communicate with and through your student, as managing this relationship with a college faculty
member is an important maturation point for students.
Please visit the OnRamps website (www.onramps.org) to get more information about the program.
If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact Chelsea Wade at cwade@nisdtx.org.
Thank you, and we’re looking forward to a great year!
Sincerely,
Dr. Julie Schell
Director of OnRamps and Strategic Initiatives
Center for Teaching and Learning
University of Texas at Austin
How are eligibility and grades for Spring 2014 college course determined?
a. For high school credit: Although using OnRamps as the instructional materials for the course,
each OnRamps Instructor is solely responsible for grading student work and assigning a high
school grade.
b. For college credit: Each course has a set number of assessments associated with Spring 2015
college course. The chart below shows the required assignments and assessment, and when
grades need to be submitted in UT’s learning management system, Canvas, for students to
qualify for the Spring 2015 college course in the fall semester and for the college grade to be
determined in the spring semester.
Course
PreCalculus
Qualifying (1st Semester)
Assessment
Submission
of Grades
December
3 exams
19, 2014
College Credit (2nd Semester)
Assessment
Submission
of Grades
May 15,
4 exams
2015