The following websites will assist students with valuable information to help them make educated decisions about school, financial aid, colleges, and their future. Visit the websites below to discover the information that can be found on each website with your students.

www.collegeboard.com
www.campustours.com
www.college-placement-test.com
www.knowhow2go.org
www.edpubs.gov
www.FACT.org
www.pin.ed.gov
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.actstudent.org
www.floridastudentfinacialaid.org
www.studentaid.ed.gov
www.collegegoalsunday.com

For more information on accessing the Florida College Systems you can visit www.fldoe.org/cc/ or call 850-254-0407

Helping Hand: Resources & Support for Low Income College Students: https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/resources/low-income-college-students/

Resources & Scholarships for Homeless Students: https://www.publicservicedegrees.org/resources/higher-education-resources-for-homeless-students/

Both guides help students learn about assistance programs and resources they can take advantage of to help get college ready, find housing, afford tuition, and more. 

Links from U.S. News & World Report

Best Student Loans

Student Loans - Consolidation/Refinancing

How to consoldate student loans

Scholarships for Florida Residents

Free-4U – A National database of scholarships
http://www.free-4u.com/

Fast Web – A free scholarship search, requires an email address
www.fastweb.com

Fin Aid – One Stop financial aid site with calculators and many other useful tools.
www.finaid.com

College Board - a self-directed search resource. Go to the home page and then click on “Paying for College.”
www.collegeboard.com

United Negro College Fund – provides scholarship programs to eligible African American Students.
www.uncf.org

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities – provides scholarship programs to eligible Hispanic students.www.hacu.net

1. Bell Labs Fellowships For Under Represented Minorities
2. Coca-Cola Scholarships
3. Holland & Knight Scholarships
4. Ayn Rand Essay Contests
5. Xerox Minority Scholarships
6. Sports Scholarships and Internships
7. National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ)
8. USDA - Saul T. Wilson Scholarships (Veterinary)
9. Thurgood Marshall College Fund Scholarships
10. FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid Scholarships
11. Presidential Freedom Scholarships and Grants
12. SallieMae Scholarship Search
13. Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
14. William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students 
15. www.guaranteed-scholarships.com
16. BOEING scholarships
17. Jacki Tuckfield Memorial Graduate Business Scholarship (for AA students in South Florida )
18. Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students
19. International Students Scholarships & Aid
20. College Board Scholarship Search
21. Burger King Scholarship Program
22. Siemens Competition
23. LuLac Scholarship Funds
24. CollegeNet ' s Scholarship Database
25. Union Sponsored Scholarships and Aid
26. 25 Scholarship Gateways from BlackExcel.org
27. Aid &Resources For Re-Entry Students - Back2college.com
28. Scholarships for Study in Paralegal Studies
29. Sit Abroad Scholarships (for study around the world)
30. INROADS internships
31. NAACP Scholarships
32. Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships
33. ScienceNet Scholarship Listing
34. Rhodes Scholarhips at Oxford
35. The Roothbert Scholarship Fund 

Knowing Your Degrees

Doctoral Degree – the highest college degree awarded. 5 Years to complete and requires completing a course of study, original research, and a written publishable thesis.

Master’s Degree – completing a graduate curriculum at a four-year college or university. Generally requires holding a Bachelor’s degree, although relevant work experience may be considered.

Bachelor’s Degree – completing undergraduate curriculum at a four-year college or university. It requires 120 college credit hours, meeting the College Level Academic Skills Test or the alternative, and completing any other degree program requirements. Degrees include:

• Bachelor of Arts - BA
• Bachelor of Science - BS
• Bachelor of Applied Science - BAS
• Bachelor of Fine Arts – BFA

Associates’ Degree – completing a course of study at a two-year college.

• Associate in Arts – AA
• Associate in Science – AS
• Associate in Applied Science – AAS

Certificate Programs – not considered college-level degree programs. They relate to a specific employment area and usually take one year or less to complete.

• Career and technical Certificate - CTC
• College Credit Certificate - CCC

Did you know the facts about education…College graduates earn more than those who do not attain a post-secondary education? Every bit of education you get after high school increases your income potential. Average annual earnings based on education levels are as follows:

High School Diploma
$33,801

Associate’s Degree
$42,046

Bachelor’s Degree
$55,656

Graduate Degree and beyond
$100,000

The more education you get, there more likely it is you will always be employed. According to one estimate, by the year 2028, there will be 19 million more jobs for college educated workers that there will be qualified people to fill them.