seek advice on college planning

By 2016, more than half of all new jobs will require more than a high school diploma. Making plans to complete at least two more years of school after high school is important. Making the right plan is even more important. What kind of career do you want? What kind of classes do you need to take? Do you need another two, four or six years? How will you pay for it? How do you prepare to pay off your loans after you graduate? These answers are different for everyone. But the one thing everyone has in common is the need for some level of higher education after graduating high school. A two-year program might be a better fit for you than a four-year program. A vocational school might be more your style. Everyone, in some way or another, is “college material.” Seek advice from a guidance counselor, professionals, friends, or even a loan officer at your bank to see how others have managed to make higher education work for them.

TEACHERS WHO PREPARE YOU FOR SUCCESS IN LIFE

Two similar classrooms at the start of the year will show as much as a 10% difference in student achievement at the end of the year, depending on the teacher. You need teachers who help you realize your full potential. Right now, organizations like Teach For America and Teaching Fellow programs recruit impassioned and skilled instructors into classrooms across the country. We must attract new, enthusiastic people to teaching careers because some of our current teachers simply don’t make the grade, and no student should have to suffer for that. Higher salaries, better resources, and professional development will attract the best and brightest to become teachers, professors and mentors. So drop an email on your Governor. Make it clear that you want support for innovative teaching initiatives, and bills signed into action that ensure every student has the opportunity to learn from a great instructor. Support the teachers and the teachers will support you back.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE CLASSES THAT WILL HELP YOU EXCEL

Students across the nation say they would be willing to work harder if they were challenged more. Do yourself a favor. Take the tougher classes in high school. Advanced-level classes such as Algebra 2, foreign languages and AP-level English will provide you with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in college, community college or vocational school. They’ll also help you succeed in a career after graduation. Talk to a guidance counselor to find out when and where the college prep courses are held. If your school doesn’t have these courses, demand that they be made available. Did you know that a group of students in Los Angeles actually protested until their schools provided them the classes they need to get ahead? Follow their lead. Let your teachers or professors know that you’re ready to be challenged, and maybe sign up for a tutoring program to get that extra edge. Push yourself beyond ordinary expectations, and you will be rewarded with extraordinary opportunities. Trust it. See the story of the kids who took action in L.A. here.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREQUENT PROGRESS REPORTS ON YOUR PERFORMANCE

34% of college students—in both two and four-year diploma programs—need remedial education. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Ask your teachers for regular updates on your performance. If you’re a junior or a senior in high school, or even if you’re a sophomore, look ahead and see what kind of skill levels college freshmen are expected to have. If you’re already at the college level, find out what you’re expected to know when you start your career. Make sure your teachers know this information, too. There’s nothing worse than getting to graduation and realizing that you’re not ready for what’s next. Take charge. Make sure you’re getting your fair share of gold stars.

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ACCESSIBLE FINANCIAL AID

College tuition has risen 30% faster than inflation in the last five years. Yet almost 1 in 4 students who qualify for financial aid to help pay for college never even file an application for it. Here’s the good news: Nearly $150 billion in financial aid is available to students. Money for tuition can come in the form of grants, government loans, private loans and scholarships. Loans are paid back with interest. Grants and scholarships are free, and you can apply for as many as you want. Many schools also offer work-study programs. So fill out the paperwork. Start with a FAFSA, or Free Application for Student Aid, to see how much money you’re entitled to from the government. Also search the Internet for odd, specialized scholarships (like the scholarship only for left-handed people). Be persistent and creative. And while you’re working on it, remember that employers love people who make their own success. Click here to fill out a FAFSA

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FINISH WHAT YOU START

Did you know that while most kids go to college, fewer than half every actually earn a degree? For too long, colleges and universities–even our financial aid system–has been set up to serve the ‘traditional student’, meaning a young person enrolled full-time, living at school and financially dependent on their parents. But today, only 1 in 4 college students fit that description. Millions of college kids today balance school and work, have to pay for their own tuition and rent, or struggle to find childcare while they’re trying to learn in class. You have the right to attend a college that works for your schedule not the other way around. It shouldn’t require a heroic effort to graduate with two or four more years of valuable education. This means that financial aid must be as good for part time students as full time students. Course schedules and work schedules shouldn’t force you to decide between school and your job. And it should be easier to take great classes from home at any time of day or night using your computer. All these things are possible. Drop an email on your Governor and Representatives. Let them know that we need modern solutions to help all modern-day students get a complete education.