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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 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Reality Bytes for Parents
Getting Ready for College Early
Presented by theMichigan 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 schoolsProprietary 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”?
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 readyfor college
Step 1: Helping make the decisionResearch 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)
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0Less than a high school diploma
High school grad-uates, no college
Some college or as-sociate's degree
Bacehelor's degree or higher
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 collegemay be affordable
after you look at all youroptions.
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 debtExcessive student loansCredit 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!