Money, GPA requirements and complicated applications are what many students think of when considering obstacles that prevent them from attending college.

Scoring high on the SAT or ACT is another common concern among seniors, but a new and largely unknown test is proving to be one of the biggest factors preventing Akins students from starting college immediately after graduating. Beginning in 2013, the Texas Success Initiative began requiring students to pass a college readiness exam before they can take any college classes.

There are exemptions that allow students to avoid taking the TSI exam, but relatively few Akins students have met those requirements in recent years. College and Career Counselor Sarah Simmons said that about 2 percent of Akins students clear the exemptions with PSAT scores and only 20 percent of students admitted to 4-year universities are exempt with SAT or ACT scores.

Students who do not meet the minimum TSI test scores will be required to take a developmental class to prepare students for college level work. These are non-credit bearing courses and are not calculated in your GPA.

According to statistics from the CCC, about 70 percent of Akins students who took the TSI at ACC did not meet the minimum score in math and about 40 percent did not meet the requirement in reading.

To apply for the TSI students can either do it online, by mail or fax or in person. Students will need an official high school transcript, a copy of a diploma or GED certification.

Before taking the TSI, there is also a Pre-Assessment Activity that must be completed before taking the actual test. Every college has its own pre assessment so it is necessary to research this at the specific college a student is interested in attending.