Counseling Office

Name	Title	Ext.	Email
Malena Sandoval	Counselor (A - L -students with last name that begins with)	5923	[email protected]
Claudia Sanchez.V.	Counselor (M-Z - students with last name that begins with )	5922	[email protected]

EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL

Community College

These institutions offer two-year programs that will earn you an Associate's or Liberal Arts degree, and the curriculum often includes specialized career training and certification. California Community Colleges provide students with the knowledge and background necessary to compete in today’s economy. With a wide range of educational offerings, the colleges provide workforce training, basic courses in English and math, certificate and degree programs and preparation for transfer to four-year institutions. www.cccco.edu

Career Colleges & Vocational Schools

These institutions offer specialized programs that prepare students for specific trade or industry. Career colleges are worth considering if you are focused on a specific field or have already identified your ideal career, such as being a chef or an auto mechanic. Be sure to check that the college is accredited and which classes and credits will transfer to public colleges and universities in case you decide to go on to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree later. http://www.rwm.org/rwm/tf_cal.html

U.S. Military Service

Joining the military offers you a chance to serve your country, make a career in the service, and/or earn money toward a future college education. You'll also earn valuable work experience that you can apply to civilian jobs once you get discharged. www.usmilitary.com

Students must take and rank high on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)
Diploma or GED usually required
$18,000 annual starting salary
Clean criminal record usually required
Possible hazardous/dangerous work

On the Job Training (OJT)

Teaches the skills, knowledge, and competencies that are needed to perform a specific job within the workplace and work environment using workplace tools, machines, documents, knowledge and skills necessary to perform the job.

Benefits include paid training and learning about workplace culture and expectations
Formal classes and costs are usually avoided
Drawbacks- Skills may not be recognized or transferable to other employers/jobs

Apprenticeships

A system of learning while earning and learning by doing. It combines training on the job with related instruction at school. It is utilized chiefly in the skilled crafts such as electrician, carpenter, millwright and is supervised by the JAC (Joint Apprenticeship Committee) www.dir.ca.gov/databases/das/descOfAppr.html

Training lasts from 1 to 6 years
Starting wages are from 35% to 50% with yearly increases
Good math and reading ability are required
High school diploma or GED required
Certificate of Completion issued by the State of California

FINANCIAL AID

Financial Aid helps students and their families pay for college. This financial assistance covers educational expenses including tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, and transportation. There are several types of financial aid:

Grants
Scholarships
Work Study
Loans

Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA)

FAFSA is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students (undergraduate and graduate)in the United States to determine their eligibility for federal, state and college sponsored financial aid including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. FAFSA requires that you submit your family's financial information, such as income, assets and other household information in order to determine what your financial need is. https://fafsa.ed.gov

Grants

The U.S. Department of Education offers a variety of federal grants to students attending four-year colleges or universities, community colleges and career schools. Grants and scholarships are often called "gift aid" because they are free money-financial aid that doesn't have to be repaid. Grants are often need-based, while scholarship are are usually merit-based. Grants can come from the federal government, state government, college, private or nonprofit organization.

Scholarships

A scholarship is a financial award given to a a student on the basis of academic achievement and promise. Many scholarships are awarded based on merit. However, some also take into account financial need. Scholarships do not have to be repaid.

Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOG)

The BOG fee waiver is a financial grant given by the government to qualified students in California to help them with the payment of their tuition. This waives their fees for enrollment for the whole school year and some parts of their permits for parking during the semesters of spring and fall. The Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver is a California Community Colleges financial aid program.

Work Study

Federal Work-Study (also known as FWS or simply Work-Study) provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study. If you're interested in getting a Federal Work-Study job while you're enrolled in college or career school, make sure you apply for aid early. Schools that participate in the Federal Work-Study Program award funds on a first come, first served basis.

Loans

If you apply for financial aid, you may be offered loans as part of your school's financial aid offer. A loan is money you borrow and much pay back with interest.

If you decide to take out a loan, make sure you understand who is making the loan and the terms and conditions of the loan. Student loans can come from the federal government or from private sources such as a bank or financial institution. Loans made by the federal government, called federal student loans, usually offer borrowers lower interest rates and have more flexible repayment options than loans from banks or other private sources.

https://studentaid.ed.gov