Career and Technical Education is the new thing in Texas. Districts are doubling down on training students to chase high-paying jobs that don't necessarily require college, as higher education isn't affordable for many families.
At Harmony School Innovation in Euless, they've taken a different approach. Doubling down on finding ways to get kids who may not be able to afford college, to get there, and not be paying loans back until they're 50.
"We didn't have a college fund growing up. I mean, I guess you could say, the shoe box in my closet, it was a college fund. But let's be realistic, it's not really anything much," said Danny Huynh a student at the school.
Huynh knew he worked hard in high school and had the grades and drive to chase his dreams of becoming a nurse.
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"The way I've grown up, the way I've been taught, my parents have always told me to be nice and kind to others. And I feel like nursing, like allows me to get that hand-to-hand connection with people," said Huynh.
But the shoebox under the bed wasn't going to cut it, counselors at Harmony reached out to a nonprofit called Questbridge that works with colleges and universities around the country and helps connect them with students who have the grades, but not the green for higher education.
"The scholarship is estimated around maybe like $250,000. It's a full four-year ride to your choice of institution," he said.
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"I'm going to be going to college for free."
Harmony has used Questbridge to connect a number of their students to these programs, helping open doors for them they'd otherwise never attempt to open.
"UPenn is ranked number one for nursing and it's an Ivy League. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can't just pass up on that," added Huynh.
