Preparing for Life after High School

By the end of this presentation, I will be able to… Explore options for life after high school Describe at least one benefit of going to college Understand how to get money to pay for education after high school

Agenda Benefits of Going to College How to Build Your College Profile Paying for College

The Benefits of Going to College Read “The Benefits of Going to College.” Discuss with a partner: What is the most important reason for you to go to college? Is your answer the same or different from your partner’s? Explain. What are other benefits? When you’re done discussing, write one reason you want to attend college or a benefit of going to college. Use “Benefits of College” handout. Have students read the document and discuss with a partner or small group. Give the students a few minutes to find a reason for pursuing education after high school that is most interesting or sticky to them. Have them write it on the Post-it or sticker and put on the poster. Keep the poster visible to refer back to and as a visual reminder for students. Encourage students to talk with their parents and other family members about their interests. Note: If students need a stronger prompt, have them fill in the blank: I am going to college because….. (you can add this to the slide if you like)

How to Build Your College Profile Circle (○) the activities that you are currently involved with Star (★) the activities that you want to be involved with

Paying for College: Vocabulary Matching Activity In groups of 4, do your best to match the definition with the term. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure what a word means; we’ll be sharing out and checking answers when we’re all done. SCRIPT: Education after high school (college) costs money, but there are many ways to pay for college. We will be doing a Vocabulary Matching Activity to get familiar with different ways to pay for college. Break up into small groups and match the definition with the term to the best of your ability. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure what a word means; we will go over what the terms mean when we are done.

Paying for College Read the “Paying for College” handout. Financial Aid (grants, scholarships, loans) Apply using FAFSA or WASFA starting October of senior year. SCRIPT: There are lots of ways to pay for college, including scholarships (based on financial need as well as grades, skills and personal factors), government grant money and loans. Explain that students will apply for financial aid with one of two applications: FAFSA (US citizens and permanent legal residents) or WASFA (students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents)

All about College Bound Scholarship (Middle School) The College Bound Scholarship is a commitment of state financial aid to eligible students and is a four-year scholarship (12 quarters/8 semesters). Students should apply in middle school before the end of their 8th grade year and commit to meeting the College Bound Pledge in high school. Discuss how students can apply for the College Bound Scholarship in middle school. Reference or pull information from the “All about college bound scholarship” handout.

All about College Bound Scholarship (Middle School) Who is eligible? 7th and 8th grade students whose families meet the income requirements or receive basic food/TANF benefits are eligible to apply. What is the College Bound Pledge? • Graduate from a Washington high school or approved Washington homeschool program with a 2.0 GPA or higher. • Not be convicted of a felony. • Apply to an eligible college and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) to determine income eligibility.

All about College Bound Scholarship (9th grade) What is College Bound again? The College Bound Scholarship is a commitment of state financial aid to eligible students and is a four-year scholarship (12 quarters/8 semesters). Students apply in middle school before the end of their 8th grade year and commit to meeting the College Bound Pledge in high school. Share information about the College Bound pledge. Reference or pull information from “The Pledge: The College Bound Scholarship” handout

The Pledge (9th grade) How do I get it? After completing the application in middle school, eligible students must fulfill The College Bound Pledge: Graduate from a WA state high school or homeschool with at least a 2.0 GPA. Have no felony convictions. Be income eligible, as determined by your college with the information on your FAFSA or WASFA. Get accepted to and go to one of the 66 colleges, universities or programs within one year of graduating high school.

Eligibility: A Two-Step Application Step One Apply in 7th or 8th grade, by June 30 of 8th grade (foster youth are auto-enrolled) Meet income requirements; verified on the application. Step Two Fulfill the College Bound Pledge Meet income requirements verified by the college using information from FAFSA or WASFA Be accepted to and attend an eligible college within one year of graduating high school.

Accessing My College Bound Scholarship (11th and 12th grade) How do I get it? After completing the application in middle school, eligible students must fulfill The College Bound Pledge: Graduate from a WA state high school or homeschool with at least a 2.0 GPA. Have no felony convictions. Be income eligible, as determined by the college with the information from the FAFSA or WASFA. Get accepted to and go to one of the 66 colleges, universities or programs within one year of graduating high school. The scholarship may be listed on your financial aid award letter as a combination of several state grant programs, such as State Need Grant. You must use the College Bound Scholarship within 1 year of high school graduation. Share information about the College Bound pledge. Reference or pull information from “The Pledge: The College Bound Scholarship” handout

Reflect & Discuss With a partner, discuss your answers to the following questions. Be ready to share. What surprised you from this presentation? What is something you learned? What other information would you like to know? Group debrief: ask students to share their answers with the whole group. (Alternative: a simple exit ticket where they write answer to the same question)

Getting Help Update slide as appropriate to your middle or high school: Include staff and locations (such as College and Career Center)