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UTAHCOLLEGEGUIDEPREPARING FOR COLLEGEEARN COLLEGE CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOL TAKE THERIGHT CLASSES GRADE-BY-GRADE CHECKLISTSPAYING FOR COLLEGESCHOLARSHIP TIPS SUBMITTING THE FAFSA STUDENT LOANS—WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW GRANTS & WORK-STUDYCHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGEWHAT COLLEGE IS RIGHT FOR YOU? UTAH COLLEGEINFORMATION COLLEGE FACTS AT A GLANCEUTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS1Do high school rightUse high school to preparefor college.5Career andTechnicalEducation36College OpportunityWhat is college?Preparing for collegeTake the right classes.2010Grade-by-gradechecklistsWhat to do and when to do it.For more information, visit us atUtahFutures.org or @UtahFutureson social:Utah College DirectoryChoosing a college.

TABLE OF CONTENTS27Types of collegesDifferent colleges servedifferent purposes.29Colleges in UtahNo matter where you are,there’s a college nearby.31Paying for collegeIt’s possible.34Tips for findingscholarshipsWhere to findscholarships andhow to apply.37Financial aidinformationWhat kinds of financialaid are there?Yes, you can go to collegeif you are undocumented!5 things undocumented studentsneed to know.43

DO HIGH SCHOOL RIGHTUse high school to prepare for college.DID YOUKNOW?Most colleges in Utah are openadmission, meaning if you have ahigh school diploma and submit anapplication, you’ll be accepted. Withopen-admission colleges, you don’thave to worry about getting in—butyou should do all you can in highschool to prepare academically forcollege. Taking the right classes inhigh school can help you save moneyon future tuition costs and may helpyou earn scholarships.Admissions requirements: Somecolleges have specific admissionsrequirements. They will ask you to takeclasses beyond what you need forhigh school graduation. You may evenneed a certain ACT/SAT score or GPAto be admitted.For more informationon college admissions,see the Utah collegeinformation, beginningon pg. 20.1 UTAHFUTURES.ORGDO HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT

Whatcollegeis rightfor you?What is yourdream job?Find out what interests you mostby taking the Career InterestProfiler at UtahFutures.org.What kind ofcertificate or degreewill get you to yourdream job?Visit UtahFutures.org/programs/search tofigure out which colleges offer the programto get you where you want to go.What type of collegecampus is best for you? Close to home or far awayBig city or small townSmall college or large universityLive in the dorms or off campusThe best way to know if a college campus is right foryou is to visit colleges you’re interested in.Find Utah college tour information atUtahFutures.org.What advicedo your family,friends, andcommunityhave for youabout college?UTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 2

COLLEGE OPPORTUNITYWHAT IS COLLEGE?Certificates, Associate degrees, Bachelor’s degreesMost jobs today require college education beyond high school. Think of collegeas one year, two years, four years, or more: college certificates can be earnedin one year or less, associate degrees in two years, bachelor’s degrees in fouryears, and graduate degrees in more than four years. The chart below shows howcollege credentials can build on each another to get you where you want to go.High School DiplomaConcurrent Enrollment, AP, IB classesCareer and Technical reeGraduateDegreeCareer Field3 UTAHFUTURES.ORGCOLLEGE OPPORTUNITY

High School DiplomaProvides foundational skills for successin life, college, and the workplace.Examples: High school Career and Technical Education College-prep classes Work-based learning1 2 4 Certificates andother CredentialsAssociate DegreesBachelor’s Degrees1 year or less2 years4 yearsProvides basicpreparation forspecific jobs andcareers. Programscan typically becompleted in a fewweeks to one year offull-time attendance.Examples: Certificates ofProficiency Certificates ofCompletion Apprenticeships Licenses ProfessionalCertificationsTypically 1–6 yearsbeyond a bachelor’sdegreeProvides preparationfor employment or abachelor’s degree.Programs can typicallybe completed in twoyears of full-timeattendance.Provides a wellrounded educationfor success in a careeror for graduate study.Programs can typicallybe completed in fouryears of full-timeattendance.Provides advancedpreparation in avariety of careers thatrequire educationbeyond a bachelor’sdegree. Programs cantypically be completedin one to six years offull-time attendance,depending on the fieldof study.*Examples: Associate of AppliedScience Associate of Science Associate of ArtsExamples: Bachelor of Science Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of AppliedScience ProfessionalBachelor’s DegreeExamples: Master’s degrees Doctoral degrees Graduate CertificatesThereare twotypes ofassociatedegrees:COLLEGE OPPORTUNITYGraduate andProfessional Degreesand CredentialsAssociate of Applied ScienceThis degree provides basic preparation and relatedinstruction for career development and entry into the jobmarket, and in some cases for bachelor’s degrees.Associate of Science and Associate of ArtsThis degree provides the first two years of a bachelor’sdegree and can be earned at a community college andthen transferred to a university.UTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 4

CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATIONCareer and Technical Education (CTE)programs are great ways to earn acollege certificate or degree andprepare for a good career. Collegesoffer CTE certificate and associateprograms in all regions of the state,so you won’t have to go far to earn acollege credential.Many certificates or associate degreesthat you can earn through CTEprograms build into and count towardbachelor’s degree programs if youdecide to go further in your education.CTE can fast-track your career andhelp you earn more money sooner asyou progress through college or yourcareer.5 UTAHFUTURES.ORGThere are CTE programs in healthcare, business, computer technology,engineering design, multi-media,advanced manufacturing, aerospace,homeland security, and many otherfields.CTE courses and programs are offeredat Utah State University, Weber StateUniversity, Salt Lake CommunityCollege, Utah Valley University, SnowCollege, Southern Utah University,Dixie State University, and at techcolleges across the state (see the mapon pg. 29-30).Contact colleges’ admissions officesto learn more or visit UtahFutures.org/schools/search.COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY

PREPARING FOR COLLEGETake the right classes.You can go to college no matter which classes you take in high school. But, to be bestprepared for college, try to take the following classes in grades 9-12. They can help youearn better grades in college and can increase your score on the ACT (which helps withcollege admissions and scholarships).If you are interested in playing college sports, be sure to check out NCAA guidelines atncaa.org. You will have to take specific classes in high school to be eligible.ENGLISH: 4 creditsMATH: 4 creditsMath I, II, and III, plus one class beyond Math IIISOCIAL SCIENCE: 3 creditsSCIENCE: 3 creditsLab-based, specifically biology, chemistry,and physicsLANGUAGE: 2 creditsof the same languageTake the right classes to double your odds of completing college,get better scores on the ACT, and prepare for scholarships.PREPARING FOR COLLEGEUTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 6

EARN COLLEGE CREDIT WHILE INHIGH SCHOOLThere are three ways to earn college credit in high school. This is a great way to get a head start onyour college education, plus it’ll save you time and money. Talk with your counselor to see whichclasses your high school offers.When earning college credit in high school, talk with your counselor to make sure you’re earningcredit that counts for either general education or toward your major at the college you plan to attend.ADVANCEDPLACEMENT (AP)INTERNATIONALBACCALAUREATE (IB)CE classes earn highschool and collegecredit at the sametime.AP classes arewriting- and researchintensive andemphasize study andtest-taking skills.IB classes are writingand research-intensive.IB students alsoperform communityservice and write anextended essay.Where is itavailable?Available at mostUtah high schoolsAvailable at mostUtah high schoolsOnly offered at certainUtah high schoolsCollegecreditearnedthrough:Passing the classExam scoreExam score 93 per exam Possible book costs 116 per exam Possible book costsVaries with eachcollege—checkwith your college’sacademic advisorVaries with eachcollege—checkwith your college’sacademic advisorCONCURRENTENROLLMENT (CE)What is it?Cost:**based on costsfor the 2019-20school year;costs may varyby high schoolWhatcollegecredit willI earn? 15-20 per class ( 5per credit) One-time applicationfee (varies by college) Possible book costsMany CE classes fulfillgeneral educationrequirements. CE alsooffers introductoryclasses in collegelevel career andtechnical education.7 UTAHFUTURES.ORGPREPARING FOR COLLEGE

What is a major? What is generaleducation?When you’re in college, you will selecta college major, which is the specificsubject area that you specializein. Typically, between one-third toone-half of your college classeswill be in your major or related to it.Some careers require a particularmajor, while others just ask for acollege degree (like an associate or abachelor’s), so you can choose a majorthat interests you the most.Visit UtahFutures.org/student toexplore your interests and identifypossible majors.PREPARING FOR COLLEGEIf you’re earning an associate orbachelor’s degree, you will be requiredto take several general educationclasses. General education allows youto explore a variety of subjects whiledeveloping critical thinking, writing,and problem-solving skills. No matterwhat major you decide, you’ll haveto take one or two classes in each ofthe academic disciplines like math,science, English, and history. You mayalso need to take general educationcourses in religion, intercultural/global,or a foreign language, depending onthe college you attend.UTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 8

TAKE MATH YOURSENIOR YEARIf you decide not to take math as a senior, you may be behind once youenter college because all college programs, except for some certificateprograms, require at least one math class. The good news? You mightbe able to fulfill that math requirement while you are still in high schoolthrough AP, IB, or Concurrent Enrollment (CE) classes.Depending on your major, a general education math class may be thelast math class you ever need to take. Taking college-level math in highschool can save money on future tuition costs. And it is easier to completecollege-level math and get a good grade when the math concepts you justlearned in high school are still fresh in your mind. Check with your highschool counselor to see if CE, AP, or IB math classes are options for you.A good way to earn your college math credit and save money is to takea CE class. These classes transfer from one Utah college to another, andmost Utah high schools offer CE math classes. Meet with your counselorto see which classes are available at your school and which class fits bestwith your future plans.Which CE math class should I take?Are you interested in .9 UTAHFUTURES.ORG English/languages Fine arts Humanities Performing artsTake CE Math 1030Intro to Quantitative Reasoning History Nursing Psychology Social SciencesTake CE Math 1040/STAT 1040Intro to Statistics Business Biology & physical sciences Engineering EducationTake CE Math 1050College AlgebraInterested in something else?Talk with your counselor aboutthe right CE math for you.PREPARING FOR COLLEGE

GRADE-BY-GRADECHECKLISTSWhether you’re considering a certificate, an associate degree, a bachelor’sdegree, or a professional/graduate degree, these grade-by-grade checklists willhelp you prepare to be successful after high school graduation! More detailedversions of these checklists can be found on UtahFutures.org/student.GRADE-BY-GRADE CHECKLISTSUTAH COLLEGE GUIDE 10