East Texas GEAR UP
There is not ‘magic morning’ when your child
wakes up and clearly knows what he/she want
to do for a career. But because he/she is a
GEAR UP student they have a head start.
 Talk to them about their Career Cruising results.
 Ask them what Career Cluster they belong to.
 Now is the time to help them to pay attention to
their own interests. Help the develop
knowledge and experience that can lead to
making choices towards a career.
 Help them find ways to do right now that may
prepare them for a career
 Give them any supportive advice you have about
the importance of striving for more education in
order to be successful in their career of choice
Start with some of these questions:
Questions
for you:
What do
you do on
a typical
day?
Beyond
pay and
benefits,
do you feel
rewarded?
Questions
for
him/her:
If you could
do it all
over, would
you choose
the same?
What do I
think I
would like
to do?
What do
my Career
Cruising
results say
I like?
What type
of
education
is
required?
How to choose the right school: You and your
child can practice this method now.

Fit & Match – Analyze each school choice
based on 4 criteria. Have your child
answer the following questions regarding
their schools of choice.
 Is this school a good social fit? (are
the students similar to me?)
 Do I meet the academic
requirements?
 Is this school a financial fit? – with or
without help from Financial Aid
 Does this school’s location
fit my comfort level?
It is crucial for your child to have some type of
education after high school. Military service
and technical schools are also great ways to
specific training for the workforce.
Postsecondary Choices:
There are a variety of postsecondary pathways.
• Certificates (1 year)
• Associate Degree (community or junior
college 2 year)
• Bachelors Degree (university 4 year)
Who can get it?
• Good News! Over 85% of
4-year students and 79%
of 2-year college students
use financial aid.
Right now its important not
to focus on price of college
but to instead, focus on
schools that suit your child’s
career, academic, and social
interests.
Every school has a Financial
Aid department that will help
you find funds to pay for their
education.
What does aid pay for?
•
•
Will pay for tuition, fees, room &
board first. If any left over, you’ll pay
for books, supplies, additional
expenses with remainder.
Some scholarships may specify
exactly what they will pay for and how
they will be awarded to student.
Career Resources:
 Career information: Department of Labor – Occupation Outlook Handbook:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
 College and Career information: https://www.texascollegeandcareer.org
College Choice Resources:
 Big Future – finding the right college fit: https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/howto-find-your-college-fit/how-to-find-a-college-that-fits-you
 Compare colleges: College Navigator: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
 Texas public 4 year college costs:
http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/collegecosts.cfm?Type=1&Level=1
 Texas public 2 year college costs:
http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/collegecosts.cfm?Type=1&Level=2
 Texas private college costs:
http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/collegecosts.cfm?Type=2&Level=1
Financial Aid Resources:
 Parent Resource for preparing to pay for college: http://www.tgslc.org/
 Financial Aid Estimating tool: https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e2s1
 Texas State Financial Aid: http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?objectid=D465D848EA0F-C0EA-5209BC8C89262877
GEAR UP staff:
Barbara Davis
Project Director
(936) 468-1813
davisbarba@sfasu.edu
Brenda Hill
Associate Director
(936) 468-6481
hillb@sfasu.edu
Olegario Madera
Outreach Coordinator
(936) 468-2713
maderao@sfasu.edu
Heather Roten
Administrative Assistant
(936) 468-1899
rotenhy@sfasu.edu
Dr. Pauline Sampson
Principal Investigator
(936) 468-5496
sampsonp@sfasu.edu
Fax: (936) 468-1573
Web: www.sfasu.edu/gearup
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