Transcript Reality Bytes

Dream Scheme for Students
Getting Ready for College Early
Presented by the
Michigan Student Financial
Aid Association
Getting Ready for
College Early
What is “College”?
z Public and private four-year
colleges and universities
z Two-year community or junior colleges
z Business schools
z Proprietary schools (programs such as
truck driving or cosmetology)
z Vocational-technical schools
Keep Your Options Open
z Do you need to know what you want to
do “when you grow up”?
Then, why think about
college now?
z College can be the key to the
kind of life you want.
z It gives you choices in:
n Kinds of jobs.
n How much money you make.
n Ways to help others.
There’s money if you need it
z You can afford to go to college.
z You will be eligible for some kind of
financial aid.
Steps
for you
to get ready
for college
Step 1: Making the Decision
z Research career interests
y Choose several - changing your mind is okay
but failing to plan ahead is NOT okay
y Talk with people about your interests
y Read about careers
x On the internet
x At the library
x In magazines and newspapers
Step 1: Making the Decision
z Importance of college
n You can choose careers based on your
interests
n You may increase the amount of money you
earn
n You’ll have more career options
n You may make better decisions
n You’ll be able to use technology better
Step 1: Making the Decision
z 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 associate’s degree)
 Technical Schools (skill centers and other schools
offering entry level occupational programs)
Changing your mind about a
career choice is okay.
Failing to dream is not.
For More Information:
www.mycareereducation.org
www.mois.org
Step 2: Getting Ready
z You, your parents and your
school are working together to prepare
you for a good life after graduation
y Exploring skills and classes for your future
starts NOW
y Get the most out of high school - take
challenging courses
y Ask your counselor to help you plan
Step 2: Getting Ready
z Consider this y Studies show that if students
take challenging courses that make them
think, they are more likely to go on to college
y These courses can also help students get
into college
Step 2: Getting Ready
z High school graduation requirements under the Michigan
Merit Curriculum include:
y Mathematics – 4 credits
y English Language Arts – 4 credits
y Science – 3 credits
y Social Studies – 3 credits
y Health and Physical Education – 1 credit
y Visual, Performing and Applied Arts -1 credit
Step 2: Getting Ready
z Many colleges require
additional courses in –
y Foreign Language
y Fine & Performing Arts
y Computer Science
Taking some challenging
classes may help your
dreams come true!
Step 3: Planning Ahead
z 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.
Challenging yourself to
think about your future may
help your dreams come
true!
Step 4: Paying for college
z What you and your parents can do y Save
y Use federal income-tax credits
y Use student financial aid
n Gift aid - grants and scholarships that do not have
to be paid back
n Work - a job during college to earn money
n Loans - money for college that must be paid back
Step 4: Paying for college
z Other sources –
y Military service scholarships (full-time and
part-time service)
y Americorps, community service program
y Civic groups and organizations, foundations
and businesses
Don’t let the cost stop you
from dreaming about
college!
It can work out!
It’s not too early to begin creating
the life you want.
So…
Change college from
a dream into a reality.
Think college early.