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Presentation Overview

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Today we will answer four important questions.

Why obtain education beyond high school
How to choose your education path
How to apply for financial aid and pay for college
What steps you can take now to plan for college

Please note that when we talk about “college” in this presentation, we are referring to all educational opportunities after high school.

While this presentation is for high school students, the information you will hear tonight and read later in the Opportunities book also applies to non-traditional students (those who are no longer in high school). The steps you take to apply for financial aid and locate scholarships are the same whether you are 16 or 60!

Feel free to take notes in your Opportunities book and in the worksheets that are included. The books are yours to keep.

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At the End of the Presentation

$1,000 Scholarship Drawing

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Importance of Education Beyond High School

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Source: “2023 Current Population Survey.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm.

Note: Data are for persons aged 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers.

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Importance of Education Beyond High School

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Career and Technical Education Path

Certified Nursing Assistant

$38,000

(less than 1 year of school)

Medical Assistant

$42,000

(1 year of school)

Radiation Therapist

$98,000

(2-4 years of school)

Source: “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.

Another option for students to further your career and earnings is by pursuing career and technical education (CTE). CTE involves educational programs that provide students with the technical and professional skills to succeed in the workplace and throughout your career. CTE programs are designed to meet the needs of employers while providing pathways to lifelong learning and family-sustaining careers, often taught through hands-on learning and on-the-job experience.

Let’s review this example together. After high school graduation, Chris took an eight-week certified nursing assistant course. Chris quickly got a job in the medical field earning $308000 as a certified nursing assistant while gaining experience in healthcare delivery and pursuing additional education programs. Chris took the CTE path and completed a nine-month medical assistant diploma program and started earning an annual salary of $42,000. Chris is now a radiation therapist after completing an associate degree and is earning $98,000 annually.

(Source for income: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm)

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Education Is Important

College graduates tend to have:

Greater job satisfaction
Retirement plans
Healthier lifestyles
Increased community involvement

Certificate earners tend to have:

Higher wages than high school graduates
Hands-on training in a specialized field
Opportunities to join the workforce quickly

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The more education you have, the more opportunities you have!

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Education After High School

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Career and Technical Education

Four-Year College or University

Community or Junior College

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Education After High School

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Four-Year College or University

Community or Junior College

Career and Technical Education

Career and technical education institutions teach students skills related to the qualifications and training required for a particular job and may provide a certificate for completing the program of study but may also offer degree programs.

Training is in a particular industry or career with the majority of classes focused on the skill, trade or career you are studying. This education option is geared for students who want to learn a specific skill and find employment within two years. Examples include cosmetology, HVAC, culinary and automotive technology.

Studies recently conducted by ECMC Group show that 74% of students surveyed think a career-base education makes sense today and that 80% stated that the top careers they want are offered through career and technical education.

A career and technical education institution in our state is _________________________. (Speaker: Name a CTE school in your state or a community college that offers CTE programs.)

(Source: https://www.aacc.nche.edu/research-trends/fast-facts/)

(Source: Question The Quo, https://questionthequo.org/)

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Education After High School

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Career and Technical Education

Four-Year College or University

Community or Junior College

Community colleges offer programs that last up to two years that lead to a certificate or an associate degree. This includes junior colleges.

Students attending a community college can earn their associate, or two-year, degree. Some community colleges also offer CTE programs for students to complete a certificate of completion while a few others offer bachelor’s, or four-year, degrees.

Many students start at a community college to complete their associate degree then transfer to a four-year college or university to finish and obtain a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges often have transfer agreements with state schools so that credits earned at the community college are easily transferable from the community college to a four-year college. This is a good way to keep costs down. Community colleges are generally a less expensive way to complete general requirements as the cost per credit may be lower. Students save even more money by living at home while attending community college.

A community college in our state is _________________________. (Speaker: Name a community college in your state.)

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Education After High School

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Career and Technical Education

Community or Junior College

Four-Year College or University

Students attend four-year colleges to obtain their bachelor’s degree. Colleges (especially liberal arts colleges) tend to be smaller than universities and offer fewer majors. Some also offer associate degrees while others offer graduate degrees, such as a master’s and/or doctoral degree.

A four-year college in our state is _________________________. (Speaker: Name a four-year college in your state.)

Universities are often larger than standard colleges and offer more majors and degree options (including master’s and doctoral degrees). Most universities contain several smaller colleges, such as colleges of liberal arts, engineering or health sciences. Universities can prepare you for a variety of careers or for graduate study.

A four-year university in our state is _________________________. (Speaker: Name a four-year university in your state.)

You will find a thorough definition of these education options in your Opportunities book on page 3.

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What Are Your Goals?

Learn a trade
Obtain a certificate or degree
Not sure about your goals?

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It’s possible you don’t know what your ultimate goals are, and that’s OK. College can expose you to possibilities you’ve never considered. On the other hand, you may know exactly what you want to do for a living and what type of college can help you. This makes it easy to identify colleges that can help you achieve your goals.

Speaker: Ask the audience if they know how many colleges are in the United States.

There are over 6,500 colleges to choose from in the United States. With this many choices, where and how do you start to look for the option that is right for you? Before you start searching, think about your goals. If you are unsure now is a great time to take an interest/career assessment to help identify what careers and majors might be right for you. View page 4 in the Opportunities books for free assessment tools you can use.

Speaker: Share your education experience. Did you change your major or are you working within your area of study?

(Source: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=84)

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Choosing a College

Identify characteristics important to you

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Program of study

Cost

Extracurricular activities

School/class size

Location

Support programs

You don’t have to know what you’re planning to major in today but the college you choose should offer programs in areas you’re interested in exploring.

Is the size of the school important to you? Would you prefer a school with large class sizes and less personal attention but more flexibility in what you study? Or would you rather have more individualized attention?

What about location? If you want the vibrancy of a big city, you may wish to consider an urban school. If you prefer a more quiet atmosphere, a suburban or rural location may be a better fit for you. If the campus is far from home, will that be an issue for you?

Depending on your circumstance, you may want to look at the support programs a college offers. Support programs are designed to help you stay in school and graduate. Examples of support programs include tutoring, mentoring, residence hall advisors, disability services, cultural centers, affinity groups, food support and more.

Extracurricular offerings can also be important. Many people build their social circle through activities that are organized by the school. Is there a hobby or activity that you can’t live without while enrolled? Activities can include clubs, organizations, Greek life, athletics and intramurals.

Don’t self-select yourself out of attending a specific college because it appears to be more than you can afford. While one school may appear to be less expensive, your final cost after receiving financial aid may be different. For example, a more expensive school may offer more institutional grants or other aid, which makes the overall cost less than a less expensive school.

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PPS Students: MaiaLearning.com

Students & Parents/Guardians each have accounts
Use to research: explore college & career options
Track college applications, including how all school documents are sent Senior year
Juniors will be adding to their ‘Universities Considering’ list this Spring
Freshman & Sophomores research career interests

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Comparing Your Options

Page �5

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Visiting a College Campus

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Explore Academic Departments

Visit in Person or �Take a Virtual Tour

https://campustours.com

Ask Questions

Observe the Campus Environment

Talk to Students on Campus

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of colleges, visit the college’s websites you’re considering and find available tours (either virtual and in person). Campustours.com offers virtual tours for most major colleges and universities.

Usually, a tour will start with meeting other prospective students. The school’s tour guides will talk about the history and benefits of attending the school, the size of classes and costs along with notable achievements and famous people who have attended.

Next, they will take you on a tour of the campus, usually visiting a dorm room and a cafeteria along with a classroom or two. Ask questions - this is your chance. You will know if it feels right! Take your parents/legal guardians - they know you best and they know some of the things you will need in order to make you feel at home.

Participating in a virtual or in-person tour will help you narrow down your list of schools of interest even further.

Speaker: Ask the audience to raise their hand if they have attended a campus tour in person. As the audience to raise their hand if they have attended a campus tour virtually.

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Cost of Attendance (COA)

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Net Price Calculator

Located on college website
Provides estimate of cost after scholarships and grants
https://collegecost.ed.gov
Find the actual net price by applying for financial aid

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What Is Financial Aid?

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Financial Aid Types

Non-Need-Based

Grants

Loans

Scholarships

Work-Study

Financial aid is any outside resource that can be used to pay for higher education. There are two basic types of financial aid: merit-based and need-based.

Merit-based financial aid is awarded to students with specific talents or skills in areas such as academic achievements, athletics and performing arts.

Need-based financial aid is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need based on the information provided on their financial aid application, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

There are four main categories of financial aid.

Grants are typically awarded by the federal government, state government or college and do not need to be paid back.

Scholarships are free money that does not need to be paid back. Funding can come from a variety of sources, such as your college, community organizations, employers and individuals.

Loans are borrowed money that must be paid back with interest. The most common loans are those offered through the Federal Direct Loan Program. Other loan options include private loans and some colleges offer loans as well.

Work-study is money earned while attending college and it does not need to be repaid. Students work part-time in either a field related to their studies or doing community service work and are able to earn money to help fund their college expenses.

These financial aid options are explained in more detail starting on page 18 in the Opportunities book.

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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The first step to access any federal financial aid and most state and institutional aid is by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Most students complete the FAFSA in less than one hour! By filling out the FAFSA, you will be considered for eligibility for several financial aid opportunities, including federal, state, institutional and private financial aid.

It is important to remember, you will need to complete the FAFSA each year in which you wish to be considered for financial aid.

The FAFSA asks you questions about your personal financial situation, such as your family income, assets, and household size. The goal of the FAFSA is to determine how much financial aid you need and whether you are eligible to receive federal aid.

The primary reason people do not file the FAFSA is that they assume they will not be eligible to receive any aid. This is a costly mistake as nearly every student is eligible for some type of financial aid.

Speaker: Ask the audience to share guesses as to how much Pell Grant money (federally-funded grants) went unclaimed by the class of 2023. [Answer: more than $4 billion] Stress the importance of completing the FAFSA as that is the only way to be able to receive funds like the Pell Grant.

(Source: https://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/are-you-getting-your-share-of-120-billion-in-financial-aid-dollars)

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Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA)

For students who are undocumented, have DACA status and/or have Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
Used to determine financial need and eligibility
Application opens in October
https://oregonstudentaid.gov

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Students who are citizens or eligible non-citizens complete the FAFSA, regardless of their parent’s citizenship status.

Students who have DACA status, who are Dreamers, or who are undocumented are not able to file the FAFSA or receive federal financial aid. The state of Oregon supports all Oregonians who wish to complete education after high school, so we have developed a special application for students who cannot complete the FAFSA.

This application is called the Oregon Student Aid Application, or ORSAA. It replaces the FAFSA for Oregonians who can’t complete the FAFSA, and it serves as the application for the Oregon Opportunity Grant for non-FAFSA filers. Just like the FAFSA, the ORSAA will open in October.

It doesn’t look quite as flashy as the FAFSA page, but it asks all of the same questions as the FAFSA. The information is processed and held by Oregon’s Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) and is not shared with the federal government.

Visit oregonstudentaid.gov for more information and to complete the application.

(Source: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/orsaa-filter.aspx)

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Oregon Opportunity Grant

Complete the FAFSA or Oregon State Aid Application (ORSAA)
File FAFSA or ORSAA as soon as possible
2025-2026 maximum award amount is $7,800
Must be enrolled at least half-time
Reapply annually

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The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) is available to Oregon residents attending a public or private nonprofit college or university in Oregon.

To be considered for the grant, students must complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Oregon State Aid Application (ORSAA) as soon after it opens in October as possible. The ORSAA is used by Oregon residents who are undocumented, have DACA status and/or have Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Like the FAFSA, the purpose of the ORSAA is to determine financial need and eligibility for various financial aid opportunities.

Funds are administered by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission’s Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC) and they will make awards until funds are exhausted. It is best to submit your FAFSA or ORSAA early because funds will run out.

For 2024-2025, the maximum OOG awards will be $3,900 for students attending an Oregon community college and $7,524 for students attending an Oregon four-year public or eligible private nonprofit college. Maximum OOG awards for students participating in a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) program at a community college will be $5,904.

Apply by filing the FAFSA or ORSAA each year you are in school.

(Source: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/oregon-opportunity-grant.aspx)

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Oregon Promise Grant

Helps cover tuition costs at any Oregon community college after financial aid is exhausted
Must be a recent Oregon high school graduate or GED test graduate
Minimum 2.0 GPA
File FAFSA or ORSAA and complete grant application
Award ranges from $2,124 to $4,422 annually

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Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps to cover tuition costs at any Oregon community college for recent high school graduates and GED graduates.

Applicants must have achieved a minimum 2.0 high school GPA (or equivalent) and plan to enroll at least half-time at an Oregon community college within six months of graduation. Awards cover all or almost all community college tuition after federal and state grants have been applied.

To apply, students should complete the Oregon Promise Grant application, which will be available in the fall on the OSAC website (https://oregonstudentaid.gov). In addition, students must file the FAFSA or ORSAA.

Awards range from $2,124 to $4,422 per academic year for full-time students.

More information regarding these grants and other available financial aid options can be found in your Opportunities book on pages 31-34.

(Source: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/)

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Financial Aid Offer

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Read the fine print

Meet all deadlines

What if it’s not enough?

Once you have been accepted for enrollment at any college and have applied for financial aid by completing the FAFSA and any other financial aid forms required by the college, you will receive a financial aid offer. This will detail the amount of financial support the college is able to provide for the upcoming year. You might receive the award along with your notice of acceptance. Some colleges make the offers available online. Check with your colleges to see how they will distribute the financial aid offers.

Every offer letter looks a bit different. See page 24 in the Opportunities book for more information on how to read your offers. I encourage you to also complete the worksheet on page 26 to help you compare offers from different colleges.

Read your offer carefully to ensure you understand all terms and conditions so you can decide if you want to accept some, or all, of the aid offered.

Look for instructions for your next steps. You might need to complete additional paperwork, such as loan applications.

Determine if grants or scholarships are renewable each year. If so, what are the conditions?

If after reading the offer, you believe that the offer and your family savings are not enough to cover all of your expenses, don’t panic! There are other options for getting the money you need to attend the college of your choice.

Consider any potential benefits from your parents’ place of employment, such as tuition reimbursement and scholarships.
Take an extra class over the normal, full-time load if it does not add to the tuition cost for the term.
Look into on-campus employment that may offset the cost of attendance.
Shop around for textbooks by renting books or buying used books and selling them back to the bookstore or to other students.
Make sure your college is aware of any special situations or circumstances that might affect their award decision. Has a baby been born or adopted? Is a parent facing possible layoff? Do any of your family members have a chronic medical condition resulting in unusually high medical expenses? Did you get a new scholarship? Make sure your financial aid office is aware of any extenuating circumstances and all financial awards received.

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Review Popular Scholarship Sites

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www.fastweb.com
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org
www.goingmerry.com
www.appily.com
https://bold.org
www.unigo.com
www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Training/find-scholarships.aspx

Legitimate Search Sites

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Scam Alert Phrases

You’re guaranteed to win or your money back.
You can’t get this information anywhere else!
Give us your credit card number to get started.
The scholarship will cost some money.
We will apply on your behalf.

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Beware - scam mailings and emails often sound and look official. Scammers who try to get you to fall for their tricks are very good at making their communication look professional.

Remember these warning signs that might help identify a scam:

You’re guaranteed to win or your money back
You can’t get this information anywhere else
Give us your credit card (or checking account) number to get started
The scholarship will cost some money
We will apply on your behalf�

Some scammers will say they are endorsed by other legitimate organizations even, when it is not true. They may also claim endorsements from fictional organizations with names that sound trustworthy.

Be aware if:

There is a fee - FREE money should NOT cost money
The organization has no valid contact information
They request personal bank account information; scholarship disbursement checks are usually sent to your school on your behalf, not to your personal bank account

You’ll want to make sure any communication you get is the real thing rather than a scam.

High pressure to buy a scholarship search? Never applied for the scholarship yet you are all of a sudden a ‘finalist’? Walk away… It’s a scam.

(Source: www.finaid.org)

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Organize Your Scholarship Search

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Scholarship Tips

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Start early

Look everywhere

Get letters of recommendation

Error-free is key

Don’t give up!

Let’s talk a bit more about the popular topic of scholarships. If you’re debating on when to start applying, the time is now. You can apply for scholarships you qualify for as early as you’d like, and the rule of thumb is always the earlier, the better.

While a high grade point average and a strong resume are helpful in getting scholarships, being a regular student may also qualify you for a scholarship.

Here are a few things to ask yourself:

- Is your GPA offset by a strong focus on a particular talent, skill or volunteer activity?

- Do you have financial need?

- Are you the first in your family to attend college?

You would be amazed at how many scholarships are out there. There’s a zombie scholarship, scholarships for golf caddies, lefties, short and tall people. You just need to find the right scholarships for you and apply.

One of the first steps of a good scholarship search plan is to look in your own community. Many small philanthropic organizations don’t use the web to advertise their scholarships. They typically have fewer students apply, making it easier to win. The local scholarships may award less money, but the dollars can add up quickly.

Once you’ve exhausted your community resources, then spread your net wider to state, regional and finally national scholarships. The public library is a great resource for scholarship information. They usually have voluminous books with comprehensive scholarships, listing application due dates and years in which they’re offered.

Often, when you fill out the FAFSA, you will automatically be considered for grants and scholarships through the college’s financial aid office. Check out financial aid and other areas of student services to see if they have additional listings as well. Students who are strongly committed to a particular major may also find that there are scholarships available specific to their area of study.

A good letter of recommendation can make all the difference in your scholarship application. Make sure that the letters you include are relevant and that you are confident in the person writing the letter for you – there is nothing worse than a lousy recommendation letter! Also, give the person writing the letter significant time and a copy of your student resume so that they can easily reference your student activities.

Take your time when applying for scholarships to ensure you have met the requirements set by the scholarship provider. These details may be the deciding factor as to who the scholarship provider chooses as the winner. Also, check your email daily as well as your junk mail. This may be the only way the scholarship provider communicates, and you wouldn’t want to miss a deadline or important information due to not checking.

Speaker: Ask the audience to share how much they think goes unclaimed each year in scholarship funding. [Answer: $100 million].

A thorough scholarship search is just like a job, and both end up putting money in your pocket! You might spend 10 hours completing scholarship applications. If you’re awarded a $1,000 scholarship, that’s the same as earning $100 an hour!

(Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markcperna/2021/11/01/100-million-in-scholarship-money-goes-unclaimed-every-year-does-it-have-to/?sh=165b98d03b6f)

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Family Financial Aid Discussion

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Parent(s)/guardian(s)

How much can you pay from savings?
How much can you pay from earnings?

Student

How much are you earning?
How much are you saving?
Do you have potential scholarships?

Parent(s)/guardian(s) and student

How much are you willing to borrow?
Can you increase savings or decrease spending?

Culturally, it’s difficult for us to talk about money, even within our own families. To make the college application process easier, it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page, and that no assumptions are being made.

Parents/guardians, have you been saving money for college? Is there an amount you feel you can contribute to college costs each month? Are there any other family members who will contribute?

Students, have YOU been saving for college? Did you work this summer or during the school year? How much are you prioritizing your college savings?

Are you willing to make a commitment to apply for scholarships? If so, how realistic are your chances to receive funding? Can you find scholarships that are a good fit for who you are and where you want to be?

Yes, these discussions can be are hard. These questions are personal. Give each other some grace and step away for a few days, if needed. Just know that these discussions are much easier to have in September at the start of the senior year than in May at the end of the year when decisions must be made against a deadline.

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Action Items

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Have a family financial aid discussion

Complete online assessment to help identify goals

Attend college tours (virtual or in person)

Complete “Choosing the Right College for You” worksheet

Experiment with net price calculators

Apply for scholarships

Create FSA ID (both student AND parent(s))

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Stay on Track

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College Support @ McDaniel

College Coordinator!

Esthera Magda emagda1@pps.net

School Counselors:

Tracy Morrison (Last Names A-C) tmorrison@pps.net

Erin Hale (Last Names D-Ga + AVID) ehale@pps.net

Crissy Phommachack (Last Names Ge-L) crphommachack@pps.net

Neomi Navarro (Last Names M-Ro) nnavarro1@pps.net

Brandon Rawls (Last Names Ru-Z) brawls1@pps.net

Brian Meyer (ELD Students) bmeyer@pps.net

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Thank You for Attending!

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$1,000 scholarship drawing!
We want your feedback!

www.surveymonkey.com/r/FeedbackECN

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Contact Us

The College Place-Oregon

Portland, OR

Jennifer Satalino

Director, The College Place

jsatalino@ecmc.org

971-722-4493

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