Office of Professional Development and Research

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Higher Education Optionsfor Youth

• Office of Professional Development and Research
• School of Social Work
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

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PART I

• DECIDING WHAT TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

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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

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Option 3

• Attend a post-secondary education program (PSEP)
• PSEPs are any 2-year or 4-year college or
  university, business school, or vocational/
  technical school

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PART II

• WHAT YOU MUST CONSIDER

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Types Of Degrees

• 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 Bachelors Degree and completion of
  state certification requirements

• Masters Degree
• Requires 2 years of study in addition to a
  Bachelors Degree
• Joint Degree
• This is a Bachelors and Masters 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 Bachelors or Masters Degree

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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
  students senior year. College entrance exams and
  additional testing are often required

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PART III

• PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS

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High School Graduation Requirements
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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

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PART IV

• SAT PREPARATION CLEP TESTS

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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

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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 Associates 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

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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

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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

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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

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TO GET APPLICATION FEES WAIVEDFind Out If the
School Has Agreed to Cooperate With the SAT
Fee-waiver Service

• If the school doesnt cooperate with the SAT
  program, or
• if you didnt 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

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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 Colleges 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

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PART V FINANCING APPLYING FOR A POST
SECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM
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Expensive School Cant Attend!!!

• Some people automatically assume that expensive
  means unrealistic and dont bother applying
• This is an INCORRECT assumption to make because
  most students get financial aid to help pay for
  school or program expenses

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FAFSA

• The 1st step 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 days to process
• see Handout 3 for worksheet to help you fill it
  out online), and Handout 4 for tips on getting
  the most federal possible

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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

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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

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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

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NJ Foster Care Scholarship Program (NJFC)

• The 3rd step to attending a PSEP is applying for
  the NJFC Scholarship Program
• NJFC provides funds for young people that have
  been in the care of the New Jersey child welfare
  system (DYFS)
• Students that attend a public college or
  university full-time in NJ are eligible to have
  all of their tuition waived
• Students that attend a public school part-time, a
  private NJ college or university, or a school
  that is another state, are eligible to receive up
  to 5,000 per year

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NJFC Eligibility Requirements

• In order to be eligible to receive an NJFC
  Scholarship, you must
• Be between the ages of 16 and 22
• Have high school diploma GED
• Be accepted to a degree or certificate granting
  post-secondary institution or program that has
  been accredited to receive Title IV funding
• Submitted applicants must meet at least ONE of
  the following
• Youth who are or were in a DYFS paid placement
• Have been in the care and custody of the New
  Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services for
  a period of 9 months or more following the
  youths 16th birthday
• Must be or have been in an out of home placement
  after the age of 12 for a cumulative 18 months

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Application for NJFC Scholars

• Make sure you provide
• A copy of your high school transcript
• A copy of an acceptance letter from a college
• A letter or recommendation from either
• A foster parent
• DYFS Case manager
• School Personnel
• An adult mentor
• Also, you must complete a single-spaced, typed,
  11-point font essay about either
• What are your future goals? or
• How will the funding from this program help you
  achieve your educational goals?

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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
  

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Project MYSELF

• All NJFC scholars are automatically enrolled in
  Project MYSELF, a program 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

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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

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Other Grants Scholarships Continued

• Macys 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 _at_ 1-800-222-0047

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PART VI

• RESOURCES THAT HELP

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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 dont expect them
  to manage you during your entire transition
  process

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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.
• Dont 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!

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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

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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

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• 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 _at_
  www.transitionsforyouth.org
• Call 732-445-0512 x 117 or 132
• Email tshivers_at_rci.rutgers.edu or
• astaats_at_rci.rutgers.edu

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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!