Higher Education Options for Youth

1. Higher Education Optionsfor Youth Office of Professional Development and Research School of Social Work Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

2. PART I: DECIDING WHAT TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

3. Deciding What To Do… • There are three major options one usually has when deciding what to do after high school • Get a job • Join the military • Attend a post-secondary education program

4. Option # 3 • Attend a post-secondary education program (PSEP): • PSEP’s are any 2-year or 4-year college or university, business school, or vocational/ technical school

5. PART II: WHAT YOU MUST CONSIDER

6. Certificates or Diplomas: Non-degree offerings that lead to employment in a specific occupational field Associate Degree: Awarded after 2 years of full-time study Bachelor Degree: Awarded after 4-5 years of full-time study Teacher Certification: Requires a Bachelor’s Degree and completion of state certification requirements Master’s Degree: Requires 2 years of study in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree Joint Degree: This is a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree that is awarded after at least 5 years of full-time study Professional Degree: Depending on the program, it can take between 2-5 years to complete. Will require that individuals already have either a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree Types Of Degrees:

7. Admissions Process 1. Open Admission Accepts students with high school diploma or GED until classes begin or space is gone. Most community colleges have open admission policies. Entrance exams are not required 2. Rolling Admission Accepts students until their enrollment is full. Typically there are minimum admission standards which must be met in order to apply for admission, such as college entrance exams 3. Selective (Early) Admission Has firm application deadlines, usually falling between December and February of the student’s senior year. College entrance exams and additional testing are often required

8. PART III: PREPARATION & REQUIREMENTS

9. High School Graduation Requirements

10. General Education Development Test (GED) • If you have left high school before obtaining your high school diploma and are 16 years of age or older, you can still get the equivalent of a high school diploma, called the General Education Development (GED) • See Handout 1 for information on taking the GED

11. PART IV: SAT PREPARATION & CLEP TESTS

12. What Everyone Should Know About the SAT: The SAT: • Is a standardized, multiple choice test. • The SAT is three hours and 45 minutes long and measures skills in three areas: critical reading, math, and writing. Although most questions are multiple choice, students are also required to write a 25-minute essay • It is scored by section with the verbal, math and writing scores ranging from 200-800; the total possible score being 2400 • It is given 7 times per year in October, November, December, January, March, May & June

13. SAT: Facts • The importance placed on SAT scores varies from school to school (community colleges, vocational and/or most technical schools do not require SAT) • 4 year colleges do not require SAT if you have already earned an Associate’s degree • SAT is usually taken in your junior year and if necessary, again in your senior year • Register for the test by mail or online at www.collegeboard.com

14. SAT: Classes & Tutoring • Students can prepare for the exam in a variety of ways: • Online courses • Classroom courses (Princeton Review, Kaplan) • Private tutoring • See Handout 2 on more important information about the SAT

15. SAT: Self Preparation • Take practice tests: become familiar with the SAT format, and learn where to focus additional study (find practice tests at www.collegeboard.com) • Get an SAT prep book that include practice tests, strategies, and tips. Your local or high school library should carry these

16. SAT: Fees & Waivers SAT Test fees are currently $41.50 • Waivers are available if you are a high school junior or senior who cannot afford to pay the test fee • To obtain these waivers, students should apply through their school counselor • If students are eligible for the SAT fee waiver, many colleges and technical schools will also waive application fees and some other fees

17. If the school doesn’t cooperate with the SAT program, or if you didn’t receive a fee-waiver for the SAT test, contact your guidance counselor to find out what they do about getting their students’ application(s) waived If your school counselor does not have a system in place to aid in getting your application(s) waived, contact the school or program you are applying to directly and ask them what you need to submit to get your application fee waived TO GET APPLICATION FEES WAIVED:Find Out If the School Has Agreed to Cooperate With the SAT Fee-waiver Service

18. CLEP Tests • The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) • College credit can be awarded for getting a certain score on these tests, which are offered in a variety of subject areas. In some cases, students may fulfill a semester or more of college credit without ever taking a class • Check your potential College’s policy regarding CLEP tests (acceptance/minimum qualifying scores) before you take the tests. Ask the admission or registrar's office for a copy of the college's credit-by-examination policy • Find out more info at www.collegeboard.com

19. PART V:FINANCING & APPLYING FOR A POST SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM

20. Expensive + School = Can’t Attend!!! • Some people automatically assume that expensive means unrealisticand don’t bother applying • This is an INCORRECT assumption to make because most students get financial aid to help pay for school or program expenses

21. FAFSA • The 1ststep to attending a PSEP is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) • The FAFSA determines whether individuals are eligible for federal grants, work-study, loans and EOF program • The FAFSA is now only filled out online (www.fafsa.ed.gov) and takes 7-10 daysto process • see Handout 3 for worksheet to help you fill it out online), and Handout 4 for tips on getting the most federal $ possible

22. Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) • The New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund provides access to higher education for those who come from backgrounds of economic and educational disadvantage • The Fund provides supplemental financial aid to help cover college costs (such as books, fees, room and board) • To participate in an EOF program, students must be New Jersey residents and must apply to a New Jersey college or university and file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid • Students should contact the EOF director at their institution of interest for specific admissions information and requirements for participation in the EOF program

23. Application Process • The 2nd Step to attending a PSEP is applying to the school(s) of your choice • request the applications and catalogs from the school(s) that you are interested in • You will receive instructions on how to fill out application forms and will be told what additional materials you will need to submit in support of your application. If you need help, see your guidance counselor • You have the responsibility for knowing specific details applicable to each school to which you are applying. Make sure you check deadlines, admission requirements, tests to be taken, etc

24. Application Requirements • Nearly all schools require: • Transcripts: This is a record of your high school classes and grades that you have to request from your school. You must request that your high school send your official transcripts to the school(s) that you are applying to • Written essay or personal statement – for tips on essays, see Handout 5

25. To Find Out More about NJ Foster Care Scholars… • Call Foster and Adoptive Family Services at 800-222-0047 or • Visit their website at www.fafsonline.org • A copy of the NJFC Scholars Application is included as Handout 6 in your presentation packet

26. Project MYSELF All NJFC scholars are automatically enrolled in Project MYSELF, aprogram that assigns mentors to youth that want or need them, and provides mentoring, blogging, leadership and community volunteer opportunities to NJFC scholars • All recipients of NJFC scholarships are required to participate in Project MYSELF • For more information: See Handout 7 or call the Office of Professional Development and Research at 732-445-0512 x 117

27. Other Grants & Scholarships Applicants must be a child who has been in foster care or who was adopted who will be concluding his/her high school education in June 2006. ONLY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS CAN APPLY FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOLARSHIPS • Hattie Talley Memorial Opportunity Grant$500 • Bernard and Sue Dondiego Opportunity Grant $1,000 • Rosemarie Hill Memorial Academic Scholarship $2,000 maximum

28. Other Grants & Scholarships Continued… • Macy’s Partners In Time Opportunity Grant $500 • The Nachi Franco Memorial Opportunity Grant $500 • Paul Hinton Memorial Opportunity Grant $1,000 Applications for all of these grants and scholarships are available online at www.fafsonline.org For more information: contact Foster and Adoptive Family Services @1-800-222-0047

29. PART VI: RESOURCES THAT HELP

30. Guidance Counselor • Counselors are at your school to help you achieve your goals • They have probably helped many students before you and as a result, have experience with preparing students for their future • Use them to your advantage, but don’t expect them to manage you during your entire transition process

31. Research your future school! • Have a list of questions whenever you call the school you would like to attend or when you are seriously looking • Make notes of the answers so you will remember later and you can also compare across schools. • Don’t underestimate the importance of doing a college tour! It is a great way to figure out what a campus is going to be like. Talk to students!

32. Higher Education Optionsfor Youth Any Questions??? We know that was a lot of information in a short time. We will be happy to answer any questions you know you have now

33. Please fill out Assessment of MYFuture Presentation sheet! The assessments are important to help us modify and change the presentation so it will be useful in the future, and helps the presenters with feedback on their presentation style

34. If you have any questions about this presentation or about your progress, please contact Transitions for Youth. See Handout 8 for our brochure, or visit our website @ www.transitionsforyouth.org Call: 732-445-0512 x 117 or 132 Email: tshivers@rci.rutgers.edu or astaats@rci.rutgers.edu

35. Good luck with your future! • You can go from your high school cap and gown in a relatively short time to your: • College/vocational school cap and gown! It all depends on you!