Reality Bytes for Parents

Reality Bytes for Parents Getting Ready for College Early Presented by the Michigan Student Financial Aid Association Revised 8/2003

Reality Bytes for Parents Getting Ready for College Early

What is “College”? • Public and private four-year colleges and universities • Two-year community or junior colleges • Business schools • Proprietary schools (programs such as truck driving and cosmetology) • Vocational-technical schools

Keep Your Options Open • Does that mean your child needs to know now, what they want to do “when they grow up”? NO!

Then, why think about college now? • College can be the key to the kind of life you want for your child • It gives your child choices in - • The kind of jobs they can choose • How much money they will make • Ways they can help others

There’s money if you need it • Every student can afford to go to college. • Every student is eligible for some kind of financial aid.

Steps to getting you and your child ready for college

Step 1: Helping make the decision • Research career options - • Talk to your children about their dreams • Help your children to • identify several career options • find the educational requirements for their career interests • talk with people about their interests (job shadowing) • find articles about their career interests

Step 1: Helping make the decision • Importance of college – • Choose careers based on interests • More career options • Increase earning potential

Education Pays….Unemployment rate by education level for 2011 (from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Step 1: Helping to make the decision • Choose the type of “college” – • Four-year college (university or college offering a bachelor’s degree or above) • Two-year college (community or junior college offering a training program, certificate, or associate’s degree) • Technical schools (skill centers and other schools offering occupational programs)

Reality Byte: • You can encourage your child to research career options. Changing their mind about a career choice is okay, Failing to plan ahead is not. For More Information: www.mycareereducation.org www.mois.org

Step 2: Getting Ready • You, your children and their school are working together to prepare them for a good life after graduation. • Taking the right courses for their future starts NOW! • Help them get the most out of high school - encourage challenging courses EACH YEAR. • Meet with your children and their counselor to help them plan.

Step 2: Getting Ready Consider this – • Research shows that if students take challenging courses that make them think, they are more likely to go on to college. • These courses can also help them get into college.

Step 2: Getting Ready • High school graduation requirements under the Michigan Merit Curriculum include: • Mathematics – 4 credits • English Language Arts – 4 credits • Science – 3 credits • Social Studies – 3 credits • Health and Physical Education – 1 credit • Visual, Performing and Applied Arts -1 credit

Step 2: Getting Ready • Many colleges require additional courses in – • Foreign Language • Fine & Performing Arts • Computer Science

Reality Byte: • Course selection: Easy is not always best - • Many times a student will choose based on what is fun and easy. • It’s up to you to encourage the challenging choices throughout high school.

Step 2: Getting Ready • College credit while in high school – • Advanced Placement (AP) - college level courses offered by the high school • Articulation - occupational courses in H.S. or career centers that “transfer” to some college programs • Dual Enrollment - taking college courses while in high school that may apply to both the high school degree and the college degree

Step 2: Getting Ready • College entrance exams – • Encourage your child to take the ACT or SAT in their Junior or Senior year • www.actstudent.org • www.collegeboard.org

Step 3: Planning ahead • What Does College Cost? • Costs can vary a lot, depending on the type of school. • Parents and students need to begin saving NOW! • Tuition, fees and books are only part of the cost. • Additional expenses include housing, transportation, food, clothes, entertainment, etc.

Step 3: Planning ahead • You can start your research on college costs at the U.S. Department of Education’s website on college affordability. http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/Default.aspx

Reality Byte: • Don’t eliminate any college because of cost - Even the most expensive college may be affordable after you look at all your options.

Step 4: Paying for college • What you and your child can do - • Save • Use Federal income-tax credits • Use Student Financial Aid • Gift Aid - grants and scholarships that do not have to be paid back • Work Aid - a job during college to earn money • Loan Aid - money for college that must be paid back

Step 4: Paying for college • Other sources - • Military service scholarships (full-time and part-time service) • Americorps, community service program • Civic groups and organizations, foundations and businesses

Step 4: Paying for college • Cautions – • Scholarship Scams • Compiling debt • Excessive student loans • Credit cards

Reality Byte: • It’s all about choices - Boat, cars, snowmobiles, pools or…. COLLEGE for your son or daughter You make the choices!

Reality Byte - Final You can change college from a dream into a reality, so… Make planning for college part of your child’s daily life. Think College Early!

Reality Bytes for Parents