Helping Your Child On Their Journey to College

Name of PresenterName of ChapterDate

Agenda

• Discussion: Why do you want your child to go to college?• Benefits of college education• Higher education options• Getting into college• Understanding admissions exams• Paying for college• College resources

Why do you want your child to go to college?

Benefits of a college education• To broaden perspectives

o Meet new people from diverse backgrounds.o Learn to be independent.o Explore new fields and views.

• To gain more knowledge that will be helpful throughout students’ lives

• To have more job opportunitieso More and more jobs require education beyond high school. Many jobs rely

on new technology and “brainpower.”

Earning potential• A 4-year college

graduate (with bachelor’s degree) earns almost $1 million more over his/her lifetime than a high school graduate.- Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Why STEM careers?• STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Pays More• STEM careers are always in high demand• STEM careers are growing• STEM college internships pay very well• Student loans are easier to pay with STEM degrees• Engineering is a professional degree

Do not NEED MS/PhD to reach fullest career potential Many Executives at STEM based industries have only a Bachelor of Science

(BS – 4 year degree) in Engineering

Where Can You Use STEM education?

7

Naval Sea Systems CommandNaval Sea Systems Command designs, builds, delivers and maintains ships and systems on time and on cost for the U.S. Navy.

• A diverse organization with a single purpose of keeping America’s Navy #1 in the world

• A world-class employer of choice that inspires innovation• Set the standard for Naval engineering, shipbuilding and ship maintenance• Support humanitarian efforts world-wide• Recruits and trains men and women to serve as civilians (engineers, scientists,

accountants, doctors, nurses, lawyers, etc.) to support the Navy and Marine Corps operating forces.

Higher education optionsType of institution Degrees offered Examples

Community colleges Associates degreeCertificates

Mountain View CollegePalo Alto College

Technical colleges Associates degreeCertificates

ITT Technical InstituteTexas State Technical College

Public universities Bachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeDoctoral degree

University of California at Los AngelesUniversity of Texas at AustinFlorida State University

Private universities Bachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreeDoctoral degree

Stanford UniversityNotre Dame UniversityHarvard University

Health-related and professional institutions

Professional degrees (law and medicine)

John Hopkins University

Getting into college• Every university has different admissions requirements.• Common admissions requirements include

o Gradeso Grade point average (GPA)o Courses takeno Class ranko Admissions exams (i.e. ACT/SAT)o Extracurricular activities, leadershipo Community serviceo Employmento College essays and interviews

Know your high school graduation plan

Students should discuss their college plans with their high school counselor as early as possible to make sure their graduation plan meets the minimum university requirements.

TIP: Community colleges offer automatic admission to students who graduate from high school.

College admissions exams• College admissions exams are commonly used to determine college

admissions and for scholarship review.

• Students should begin taking the SAT and/or ACT exam during the spring of their junior year.

• Students may take these exams multiple times to raise their scores.

• Fee waivers may be available from the student’s school counselor.

Comparing the SAT and ACT examsSAT Exam ACT ExamThree sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing

Five sections: English, Math Reading, Science, and Writing (optional)

Reasoning exam Content-based examOffered 7 times per year Offered 6 times per yearTimed test (3 hours, 45 minutes) Times test (3 hours or 3 ½ hours with writing)Maximum score of 800 per section (total 2400) Maximum score of 36 per sectionStudents penalized for wrong answers, guessing discouraged

Students receive credit only for right answers

Cost is $52.50 Cost is $38 or $54.50 with optional writing section

Register at sat.collegeboard.org Register at www.actstudent.org

How much does college cost?• There are five main college cost categories

o Tuition and feeso Room and boardo Books and supplieso Personal expenseso Transportation

• There is often a big difference between the published sticker price and the net price paid by students.

• Net price is a college’s total cost minus financial aid received.

How much is tuition?Type of college Average Published Yearly

Tuition and FeesPublic Two-Year College (in-state students)

$3,131

Public Four-Year University (in-state students)

$8,655

Public Four-Year University (out-of-state students)

$21,706

Private Four-Year University $29,056

Source: The College Board (bigfuture.collegeboard.org)

Using Financial Aid• Four types of financial aid available to students

• Grants are free money for students based on financial need

• Loans are money that must be paid back

• Work study requires students to work part-time

• Scholarships are free money for students based on academic merit

Applying for financial aid

• Students must apply for financial aid after January 1st of their senior year of high school.

• Parents must prepare their tax returns early to ease the submission of their financial aid application.

• Financial aid deadlines vary by college. Students should inquire at their college for priority and final deadline dates.

Applying for financial aid• U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents and certain eligible non-citizens

must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Apply online at www.FAFSA.gov

• Some states provide limited financial aid for undocumented students. Students should inquire with the Financial Aid Office at their college to determine eligibility and application requirements.

Applying for scholarships• Scholarships are offered by

o Universities and collegeso Corporations, businesses, private organizationso Non-profit organizations and foundations

• Deadlines and application requirements vary by scholarship.

• The peak period to apply for scholarships is November to March of your child’s senior year.

• Students should speak to their counselor to learn more about scholarship resources.

Where can you get help?• College resources in English and Spanish are available in

many communities and includeo High school counselors and teacherso College outreach officeso Admissions officeso Online resources (i.e. CollegeBoard.org, Princeton Review,

FinAid.org)o Professional organizations (i.e. SHPE Foundation, National Society

of Hispanic MBAs)

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTSThank you for attending.