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Reality Bytes

Reality Bytes. Getting Ready for College Early. What is “College”?. Public and private 4-year colleges and universities 2-year community or junior colleges business schools proprietary schools vocational-technical schools. Keep Your Options Open.

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Reality Bytes

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  1. Reality Bytes Getting Ready for College Early

  2. What is “College”? • Public and private 4-year colleges and universities • 2-year community or junior colleges • business schools • proprietary schools • vocational-technical schools

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

  4. Then, why worry 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 • In helping others

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

  6. Steps to getting you and your child ready for college

  7. Step 1: Helping them make the decision • Importance of college: • Better utilize technology • Choose careers based on interests • More career options • Increase earning potential • Opportunity to make better decisions

  8. Unemployment rate by education level

  9. Step 1: Making the Decision • Choose the type of college • “4-year” college (university or college offering a bachelor’s degree or above) • “2-year” college (community or junior college offering a training program, certificate, or associates degree to include transfer options) • Technical Schools (skill centers and other schools offering entry level occupational programs)

  10. Step 1: Making the Decision • Explore careers. • Help your child choose several careers • Help them find the educational requirements for their career interests • Help them talk with people about their interests (job shadowing) • Find articles of interest about their career choices • On the internet • In magazines and newspapers

  11. Reality Byte: • You can encourage your child to explore careers. Changing their mind about a career choice is okay, Failing to plan ahead is not.

  12. Step 2: Getting Ready • You, your child and their school are working together to prepare him or her for a good life after graduation • Taking the right courses for college starts NOW! • Help them select the right courses to get the most out of high school - encourage challenging courses

  13. Step 2: Getting Ready • Consider this: • Research shows that if students take algebra and geometry early (8th and 9th grade) they are more likely to go on to college than students that don’t • These courses can also help them get into college

  14. Step 2: Getting Ready Recommended High School Curriculum for College • English 4 units • Mathematics 4-6 units • Social Studies 4-6 units • Science 3-4 units

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

  16. 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.s or career centers that “transfer” to some college programs • Dual Enrollment - taking college courses while in H.S. that may apply to both the H.S. degree and the college degree

  17. Step 2: Getting Ready • College admission’s exams • Encourage your child to take the ACT or SAT in their Junior or Senior year • Encourage them to take the MEAP early • to qualify for Dual Enrollment • to earn the Merit Scholarship ($2500)

  18. Reality Bytes • Course selection: Easy is not best Many times a student will choose their schedule based on what is fun and which course is easy. It’s up to you to encourage the challenging choices.

  19. Step 3: Planning ahead • What Does College Cost? • College is probably not as expensive as you think it is • However, parents and students need to begin saving NOW! • Tuition, fees and books are only part of the cost. They will need money for transportation, food, clothes, entertainment, etc.

  20. Step 3: Planning ahead Pie chart on college costs

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

  22. 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

  23. Step 4: Paying for college • How financial need is determined: Cost of Education - Expected Family Contribution Financial Need

  24. 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 • Web services (such as fastweb.com)

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

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

  27. 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!

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