The Next Four Years

If you’re the parent of a college-bound high school senior, you’ve watched your student work hard the last few months. Filling out applications, applying for aid, writing essays, asking for references — not to mention continuing to work toward high school graduation — are all part and parcel of the college application process.

In fact, whether your student applied to one or many colleges, you were probably exhausted just being in the same house with him or her during the whole process.

Now is the waiting season. If your student didn’t apply for early decision, you should begin hearing from colleges soon.

April is the month many colleges send out financial aid offers to incoming students who have applied for assistance. These letters detail the cost of the college’s tuition and fees plus the amount of financial aid available through the school.

Comparing Apples to Apples: Financial Aid Offers

If your teenager received a “full-ride” scholarship to the school of his or her choice, stop reading. For the rest of us, we know paying for college will take a combination of financial strategies: loans, scholarships, savings, grants, and so on.

If your student completed the FAFSA and applied for college financial aid, you may soon begin to receive financial aid offers. And while your first inclination might be to celebrate, it’s important to study each package carefully. What appears to be a fantastic deal from one college — on paper — may actually be less than what another university offers.

Consider grants and scholarships and work-study programs first. Students in work-study programs need to work an agreed-upon number of hours, but the programs are usually on-campus, so they’re convenient. Grants usually come from federal and state sources and do not have to be repaid. If your student’s goal is to graduate with as little college debt as possible, grants and scholarships are the best route to financial freedom. Scholarships are usually merit-based and also don’t need to be repaid. Student loan aid — like the Stafford, Perkins, PLUS, and private loans — must be repaid, and the repayment dates, rates and conditions vary.

Know the rules about student financial aid before you apply. In many cases, students must reapply each year for federal, state and institutional aid programs. Further, many scholarships require a minimum course load and a minimum grade point average (GPA).

It’s important to read all financial aid and loan documents carefully and understand their terms and conditions. You need to consider the requirements of any loan — both the interest rate and when repayment begins. Make sure both you and your teen completely understand the rules before you sign any documents. If anything is unclear, phone your college financial aid office. Ask questions until you can make an informed decision. For more information, visit our Financial Aid Packages page or check out the ACT Financial Aid Estimator.

Once you and your teen have evaluated the financial aid offers, you need to consider other aspects of university life to make informed decisions that will affect your teen’s life for the next four or more years. Consider the following questions as starting points for a discussion. Clearly, some will be more important to you than others.

1. What aspects of each campus most appealed to your teenager when he or she first applied?
2. What was your impression of the academic and/or the advising department? If your teen decides to change majors or add another major, will he or she receive the guidance necessary to make a smooth transition?
3. What is the total college enrollment? If your son or daughter attends a large high school, he or she might want to enroll at a small college. Or your student may love a large campus environment.
4. What type of freshman orientation or seminar is offered? These programs are often very important as students make the transition to college.
5. What is the average class size? Do faculty or teaching assistants teach more classes?
6. Does the college offer on-campus housing? Visit campus dorms to help select the safest and most appropriate location for your student.
7. What types of campus transportation are available? If none are offered, will your student need a car? Car insurance, gas, maintenance, and registration fees add up quickly and will factor into your teen’s decision.
8. What, if any, special academic courses and accommodations are available for your student?
9. Will your student be able to play sports? Whether it’s on the official school team or playing intramurals, sports are an important consideration for many students.
10. How far is the college from home? Is your teenager ready for full independent living or does it make more sense for him or her to stay closer to home base? How often will your student visit home; what type of transportation will he or she require? Needless to say, airplane trips usually cost more than car or bus trips.
11. What are your teen’s favorite hobbies, activities and clubs? Make sure they’re offered at the college your son or daughter chooses.
12. What role, if any, does the college play in helping students find employment after graduation?

These questions should serve as a good starting point for some healthy family debates. Once you’ve made clear your expectations and level of support, it’s critical to talk about college choices. However, the final decision should be your teenager’s choice.

Entering the Workforce

If your high school student wants to put college on hold for a few years or would like to enter job training directly after high school graduation, it’s important for you both to know about employment opportunities. ACT research shows that the same level of academic achievement is needed for success in both college and career.

Recently released ACT research on occupational opportunities (PDF; 8 pages, 272KB) splits out potential jobs into three sections:

1. “Now” — jobs commonly available to high school graduates
2. “Next” — occupations that typically need further training, including on-the-job training or education through a community college or other provider
3. “Later” — jobs that typically require a college degree and may call for professional experience

Each of the three sections details job titles, U.S. median annual gross earnings, and the number of projected annual openings for each specific listed job. That’s important information needed for making sound career decisions.

For each occupation listed in the Now, Next and Later sections, three columns list the recommended WorkKeys assessment scores an individual should have to be successful in that occupation. The three WorkKeys assessments used for this chart are Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information.

You and your teenager may also wish to learn more about ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate. The Certificate is designed to complement other traditional credentials, such as a high school diploma, community college degree, or college degree. The Certificate shows employers you have the workplace skills needed to learn a new job. Learn more about The Certificate.

When Should My Student Take the ACT?

Students should take the ACT^® test by spring of their junior. That’s because the ACT is a curriculum-based test, and juniors have taken many of the necessary core courses by this time.

It’s also the best time to start communicating with colleges and universities. Taking the ACT during junior year helps everyone — especially first-generation and minority students — begin to seriously consider a college education. During online registration, all your student needs to do is check the Educational Opportunity Service (EOS) box, which reads “I would like to receive information from colleges and scholarship agencies about educational, scholarship, career, and financial aid opportunities.” Your teen may be surprised to learn that schools he or she had not even considered are interested.

If your student tests as a junior, he or she will have test scores and other information in time to better help plan senior-year classes.

Your teen can retest if he or she feels the scores don't accurately reflect his or her abilities in the areas tested.

The sooner your student takes the ACT, the sooner colleges can make contact and the sooner your student can find the best match for his or her interests.

2009–2010 ACT Test Date Schedule

Students may register online or pick up registration packets from their high school counseling office. The cost for the ACT test without writing is $32. When combined with the optional ACT Writing Test, the total cost is $47. For those who qualify, fee waivers are available through high school counselors.

To help your student plan ahead, test dates for 2010–2011 include:

• September 11, 2010
• October 23, 2010
• December 11, 2010
• February 12, 2011
• April 9, 2011
• June 11, 2011

Registration dates for these tests are posted online.

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As always, we welcome your feedback. If you have questions or suggestions about future topics, please contact us at ACT Parent.

See also:

ACT's Information for Parents

The ACT

PLAN

EXPLORE

Financial Aid

College Search

Careers