COLLEGE MAKING IT HAPPEN FOR MY CHILD

Topics Is College Worth It? How Can I Help My Child Get Ready for College Now? Financial Aid & Scholarships California College Systems

IS COLLEGE WORTH IT? By 2020, 67% of Jobs in California Will Require a College Education or Career Certificate Research shows that a child who go to colleges and earns a Bachelors degree at a university will make $1 million dollars more over than their lifetime than a high school graduate.

WHY COLLEGE & CAREER TRAINING MATTER On average College Graduates earn $1.34 million more dollars over their lifetime compared to high school graduates.

SALARY & UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN 2015 WEEKLY PAY EDUCATION LEVEL UNEMPLOYMENT RATES $1,623 per week Professional Degree, eg: doctor, lawyer 1.7% $1,730 per week Doctoral Degree 1.5% $1,341 per week Master’s Degree 2.4% $1,137 per week Bachelor’s Degree 2.8% $798 per week Associate’s Degree (community college) 3.8% $738 per week Career Training only 5% $678 per week High School Diploma 5.4% $493 per week High School Drop Out 8% * Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Learning and Earning Chart, June 15, 2015.

WHAT CAN I DO to help my child GET READY FOR COLLEGE NOW? As a Parent or Guardian WHAT CAN I DO to help my child GET READY FOR COLLEGE NOW?

Build the dream of going to college Visit College Campuses Celebrate academic achievements When your child shows an interest - encourage them and talk about how it relates to careers Talk about your child’s Strengths & Talents and relate them to possible careers Talk about how college will help them in the future How do you build the dream of going to college for your child? College visits – you can go on a campus tour at any age or just walk around campus on your own so your child understands what college feels like. Idea: when you go on vacation somewhere, find out what colleges or universities are nearby and stop to visit.

SET HIGH EXPECTATIONS Set the expectation that your child IS GOING to College &/or Training for a Career The earlier you start talking about college & careers the better! Have high expectations! Children will live UP or DOWN to your expectations

How do you promote college AT home? 15 minutes – ask parents to share ideas Parents share ideas

“What was the best thing that happened today?” ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS! Ask Open-Ended Questions Avoid questions that can be answered with a “Yes”, “No,” “Nothing,” or “Fine” Example: “How was school?” vs. “What was the best thing that happened today?”

Good habits now = academic success later Make sure you child does their homework everyday. Good attendance is important! Read with your children & encourage them to read on their own at home. Strong Writing, Reading & Math skills are extremely important in college.

SCHOOL SUCCESS Talk to Teachers Often Homework BEFORE TV, video games & friends. Quiet Space for Studying Get Tutoring if Needed If Your Family Speaks Another Language – Keep Speaking it at Home *In Middle School - take Algebra I, Geometry and/or a Foreign Language These classes Count for college admissions as long as they get a “C” grade or better. Communicate with Teachers Get to know their teachers and communicate frequently Don’t wait for their Report Card to find out there is a problem Stay Involved & Become a Parent Volunteer Quiet Space - No TV while studying or doing homework; but Music is Okay Bi-Lingual - Reinforce how important knowing two languages is for future success. Research shows that children learn languages faster and easier before the age of 13.

FINANCIAL AID, SCHOLARSHIPS & COLLEGE SAVINGS

Financial Aid & Scholarships GRANTS = FREE $$$ State & Federal Grants for Low Income Families Grants for Good Grades Special Grants for Foster Youth, Children of Veterans, etc. SCHOLARSHIPS = FREE $$ STUDENT LOANS = NOT Free, must be paid back COLLEGE SAVINGS - Start NOW! CURIOUS? - Find out your financial eligibility for financial aid now http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov California’s 529 Saving Accounts – Scholar Share is the State’s official administrator When you contribute to the ScholarShare College Savings Plan (ScholarShare), any account earnings are federal and California income tax-deferred. Plus, distributions used to pay for qualified higher education expenses will be free from federal and California income tax. Non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal and state taxes and the additional federal 10% tax. Payroll deduction for ScholarShare is a convenient and flexible method to contribute to your existing ScholarShare account. If your employer offers this benefit, you can contribute from your paycheck for as little as $15 per pay period. You can stop, start or change your deduction amount at any time.

Scholarships High Academic Achievement Sports (Grades are important) Community Service Hours Family Challenges Immigrant parents, 1st in family to go to college Specific Scholarships Parent is a military veteran, postal worker, etc. Child has specific career goals, 1st to go to college, etc. Athletics – scholarships are given only at Division 1 Colleges – not all colleges or universities give out athletic scholarships. Very competitive. Good grades are extremely important to getting recruited.

SCHOLAR SHARE SAVING PROGRAM FEDERAL & STATE TAX FREE! Savings Plan EXAMPLE College Fund Savings Plan: $10 per month = $120 per year x 12 years = $ 1,440 $35 per month = $420 per year x 12 years = $ 5,040 $100 per month = $1,200 per year x 12 years = $14,400 California Scholar Share Saving Program. Allows you to save money for college tax free. College Saving 529 Plan SCHOLAR SHARE SAVING PROGRAM FEDERAL & STATE TAX FREE! www.scholarshare.com California’s 529 Saving Accounts – Scholar Share is the State’s official administrator When you contribute to the ScholarShare College Savings Plan (ScholarShare), any account earnings are federal and California income tax-deferred. Plus, distributions used to pay for qualified higher education expenses will be free from federal and California income tax. Non-qualified withdrawals may be subject to federal and state taxes and the additional federal 10% tax. Payroll deduction for ScholarShare is a convenient and flexible method to contribute to your existing ScholarShare account. If your employer offers this benefit, you can contribute from your paycheck for as little as $15 per pay period. You can stop, start or change your deduction amount at any time.

QUESTIONS ABOUT financial aid or scholarships?

California college & university systems What Do Colleges & Universities Expect?

LEVELS OF EDUCATION University 3 – 6 years MASTERS DEGREE University DOCTORAL DEGREE University 3 – 6 years MASTERS DEGREE University 3 - 4 years BACHELORS DEGREE University 4 – 5 years ASSOCIATES DEGREE Community College 2 – 3 years CAREER TRAINING CERTIFICATES Community College 1 – 2 years

Higher Education in California The Four Systems of Higher Education in California

California’s college systems CC CSU UC Private Colleges 111 23 10 77+ Tuition Costs $1,104 /year $5,970 /year $13,200 / year $6,000 - $50,000+ / year Admissions Requirements 18 years old or High School graduate 2.0 GPA min. SAT or ACT exam 3.0 GPA min. SAT or ACT & Subject Exams Varies GPA Not Required 3.0 GPA  Expected 3.5 GPA  Expected 3.0 GPA  Expected *Based on college 2015-2016 tuition rates.

Online Resources Know How To Go To College www.knowhow2go.org California Colleges - research info on all types of California Colleges www.californiacolleges.edu My Child’s Future www.mychildsfuture.org

QUESTIONS?

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