Senior Parent Night 2019: Community College and Vocational Pathway

1. Senior Parent Night 2019: Community College and Vocational Pathway Prospect Guidance Department

2. Supporting Your Success

3. Financial Aid: Important Dates • For ALL students applying to 2 or 4 year colleges, and some vocational schools • FAFSA, Dream Act, and Cal Grant applications open October 1st • Financial Aid Information Night • Thursday, October 10 @ 6:30 pm in Room 30 • Presented by West Valley College Financial Aid • Spanish presentation available in room 32 • Cash for College Workshop • Tuesday, October 22nd, 5:00-7:00pm in the Library • Fill out the FAFSA or Dream Act application and get 1:1 assistance

4. Supporting Your College & Career Goals • College & Career Center Specialist: Amy Bencomo • Available for 1:1 meetings • Study Hall support in the Library on Tuesdays & Thursdays • Ambassador Program • College representative visits during Study Hall and lunch • Assistance with college applications, essays, and scholarships • Career Spotlights throughout the year • Workshops throughout the year • Current Job & Volunteer Postings, plus Summer Internship information

5. Overview • Admission Requirements • California College Promise Grant • How to Apply for CA Community Colleges • Guided Self-Placement Tool • Transferring to a 4 Year College • Specialized Programs • Certificate/Vocational Programs • Online Resources

6. Admission Requirements • California community colleges are required to admit any California resident possessing a high school diploma or equivalent • California community colleges may admit any nonresident possessing a high school diploma or equivalent or anyone (resident or nonresident) over the age of 18 without a high school diploma or equivalent who, in the judgment of the board, is capable of profiting from the instruction offered.

7. California College Promise Grant • For eligible California residents, this grant waives enrollment fees ($46/unit) during your 1st year • When you you complete your application on OpenCCC, you are considered • Also make sure to complete your FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application • There may be additional steps for consideration depending on the specific college you are applying to

8. West Valley vs De Anza College Grants West Valley Community Grant: • Complete the following steps: OpenCCC app to WV, Community Grant App, attend orientation, FAFSA/Dream Act app, and attend their convocation (2020 date tbd.) • Covers 1 year of free tuition • May also include: textbook vouchers and transportation support, which can include free parking • Must live within CUHSD or Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District boundaries The De Anza College Promise: • You must be a first-time college student, attending full-time, and CA resident/Dreamer • Complete the following steps: OpenCCC app to De Anza, FAFSA/Dream Act, register for minimum 12 units, • Free tuition and fees for 2 years • $1,000 towards textbooks ($500/year) • Free VTA transportation

9. How to Apply to California Community Colleges • Applications for Fall 2020 will open in the spring 2020 • Create an OpenCCCapply account. You will then get an email confirmation once your account has been created. Please note, this is not your ID number for the college you are applying to • Submit an application for the specific college you wish to apply for. You will then receive an email with your student ID number, password, and registration information

10. How to Apply to California Community Colleges • Make sure you apply for financial aid (FAFSA or Dream Act applications open October 2019) • Submit high school or college transcripts and AP test scores to the assessment office to clear prerequisites following graduation • Register and complete an orientation and create an educational plan. Registration is usually completed online, and they often have online or in-person orientations • Register for classes after creating your educational plan

11. Guided Self-Placement Tool • A new California Law, Assembly Bill 705, enables all students to have the right to take transfer level English, ESL and most Math classes right away, which reduces the time and money you’ll spend to achieve your goals • It is recommended that students complete the guided self-placement process to help determine which math and English classes might be more appropriate. • You will be asked to report the highest level of math taken in high school and the grade earned • ESL (English as a Second Language) assessments are also available

12. Transferring to a 4 Year College • Community colleges offer transfers plans to UC's, CSU's, and private colleges. Work with your advisor to ensure you are taking the right classes to transfer • ADT Degrees: Associate degrees at community colleges with guaranteed transfer to CSU's • Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): allows transfer to CSU's and UC's • UC Transfer Admission Guarantee

13. IGETC • The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is a series of courses that California community college students can complete to satisfy freshman/sophomore level general education requirements before transferring to most colleges and majors at UC and CSU campuses. • Courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. A "Pass" may also count if the college verifies the a "Pass" equates to earning a C or higher • AP exams, if passed with a 3 or higher, can sometimes fulfill a requirement

14. UC TAG Agreement • TAG = Transfer Admission Guarantee to 1 of 6 participating UC campuses, including Davis, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Merced, Santa Barbara, and Irvine • Students may receive early review of their academic records, early admission notification, and specific guidance about major preparation and general education coursework • Students will complete TAG coursework and GPA requirements and submit a TAG application during the designated filing period

15. Specialized Programs • Honors Programs: • Many colleges offer honors programs • Students who participate in honors programs have stronger transcripts which can increase their chance to transfer to the institution of their choice • Other examples of specialized programs include: • Puente:https://www.thepuenteproject.org/community-college-programs • Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS): https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/Special-Populations/What-we-do/Extended-Opportunity-Programs-and-Services • First year Experience • Umoja: https://umojacommunity.org/our-story

16. Certificate/Vocational Programs • Certificate Programs are focused on a particular area of study and designed for students who wish to prepare for immediate employment and/or to upgrade their job skills • Interactive learning and internship opportunities • Each community college will have different certificate programs available • These programs tend to be more affordable than other comparable programs

17. Certificate/Vocational Programs Here are some popular, local certificate programs that can prepare you for careers in the following industries: • San Jose City College: Cosmetology • West Valley College: Architecture/Landscape Pathway • De Anza College: Automotive Technology and Health Technologies (e.g. Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician I, etc.) • Foothill College: Paramedic and Dental Assisting

18. Certificate Programs If you would like more information about what certificates are available at some of our local community colleges, check out these sites: West Valley: http://westvalley.edu/careers/ De Anza: https://www.deanza.edu/workforceed/careers/index.html San Jose City: http://www.sjcc.edu/academics/degrees-certificates-and-employment/degrees-certificates Foothill:https://www.foothill.edu/programs/

19. Things to Consider • Know the difference between a semester and quarter system when choosing a community college. For example, West Valley/Mission College are both on the semester system while De Anza/Foothill are on the quarter system. Quarter systems are approximately 11-12 weeks per quarter; whereas, semester systems are 15-16 weeks per semester. • It can be easier to transfer credits if colleges are using the same system • Look for a community college with a high transfer rate: cpec.ca.gov/onlinedata/transferpathway.asp • If you are interested in a specific certificate program, make sure you research which colleges offer it.

20. Online Resources • West Valley Admissions: http://westvalley.edu/admissions/apply.html • De Anza Admissions: https://www.deanza.edu/registration/myinfo.html • Foothill Admissions: https://foothill.edu/reg/admission/apply.html • Create an account for OpenCCC: https://www.openccc.net/uPortal/f/u11l1s24/normal/render.uP • To check transfer agreements between colleges: assist.org