What should you be doing to get ready for life after high school?
Thinking about careers?
Thinking about applying for college?
Thinking about paying for college?
All of the
above?
The Office of Financial Aid and the Career Services Center are here to assist you in
making positive, self-aware, life-changing decisions regarding college. Therefore
we will provide information regarding:
Financing Your College Education
-- Grants
-- Scholarships
-- Loans
-- Other Resources
-- On-Campus Employment
-- Off-Campus Employment
Choosing What to Study in College
-- Gaining work experience before graduation
-- Calculating how much you will earn after graduation
-- Knowing employment trends in your major
In Just A Few Steps…
The road to degree attainment and career fulfillment is not always a straight line or
without detours. However, we will provide a map to your success by guiding you
through three steps.
Step 1:
Getting Here
Step 2:
Staying Here
Step 3:
Leaving Here
Paying for College
Choosing What to
Study
Self-Assessment
Cleveland State uses The Free Application for Federal Student Aid to
determine your eligibility for loans, grants/scholarships, and workstudy awards.
Loans:
• Subsidized VS. Unsubsidized Loans
• StudentLoans.gov (Repayment Calculators, Plans, and More)
Scholarships & Grants:
• Fastweb
On-Campus Jobs:
• CSU Student Employment
• Federal Work-Study
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Choosing What To Study
What can I do with a major in…?
How much can I anticipate earning after graduating from college?
Resources to Help You Choose a Major:
•Your Academic Advising Office
•My Next Move
•O*Net Online
•Occupational Outlook Handbook
•CSU Admissions
•FocusCareers
•MyPlan
Paying for College
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DISCOVER
One valuable way to begin career exploration process is by taking a
self-assessment. These tools can help you clarify your values, skills,
personality, and interests and may provide insights in identifying
major and occupational options. These instruments may:
• Serve as a good starting point for clarifying your career direction.
• Indicate some career areas that might be a good fit for you.
• Provide new insights or confirm things you already know about
yourself.
• Help organize self-information so it can be more easily translated
into potential career options
Choosing A Major
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Action Plan:
What should you be doing each
year to guarantee success?
A Few Reminders
Make sure you stay on track each year by following these check lists!
DEVELOP
•
Freshman Year - Inquiry and Awareness
1.
Consider college as preparation for your life.
2.
Enroll in core courses with assistance from your advisors.
3.
Enroll in Career Orientation Course to identify your interests, strengths, skills, abilities, &
values and to explore the world of work.
4.
Make a tentative selection of a major.
5.
Begin to consider possible career choices meet with Career Coordinator.
6.
Learn about resources available on campus.
7.
Get to know faculty, counselors, and administrators.
Summer vacation:
Get work experience to develop interpersonal skills, help finance your education, and build
responsible work habits. Volunteer if you are unable to work.
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Sophomore Year
DEVELOP
•
Sophomore Year - Assessment and Exploration
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Complete intro courses in your prospective major.
Continue self-assessment and develop professional work skills.
Learn about the world of work and explore occupations by working in a co-op or
internship.
Research occupations: training and skills needed, demand for jobs, alternatives by
working with Career Coordinator.
Conduct informational interviews with people in your field of interest.
Choose an appropriate major working with Academic Advisor.
Summer vacation: Gain exposure to the world of work through employment or volunteer
experience. Utilize these experiences to further develop your work-related skills and improve
your self-confidence.
Freshman Year
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Junior Year
DEVELOP
Junior Year - Testing Career Decisions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Check your attitude toward your major/career - see you Career Coordinator.
Study your major in-depth with courses in your field.
Join student clubs and student chapters of professional organizations in your chosen field.
Gain relevant experience through an Internship or Co-operative educational experience.
Continue to get to know faculty, counselors, and administrators - they make serve as
references later on.
Take electives in other areas to enhance your qualifications.
Begin to investigate the role of graduate and professional school in your chosen career
field, and plan your application timeline.
Summer vacation: Secure employment or an internship related to your career goals. Use this
experience to evaluate your career decision.
Sophomore Year
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Senior Year
DEVELOP
Senior Year - Job Search/Graduate School Applications
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Complete the course requirements in your major.
Plan your job search.
Attend Career Services Life & Learning Workshops to brush up on job search skills, including
resumes, cover letters, interviews, and job search strategies.
Conduct a thorough job search campaign.
Take advantage of On-Campus Interviewing and attend Employer Information Sessions on campus.
Discuss opportunities with faculty and counselors.
Choose the faculty, administrators, and/or employers you want to act as references.
Develop a timetable for your career development after graduation.
Remember that Career Services provides career assistance even after graduation
Junior Year
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Reminders
JUMP START CAREER
STUDENT EMPLOYMENT
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
MOCK INTERVIEWS
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REMEMBER!
• Renew your FAFSA each year on January 1st.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Utilize the FREE services offered by Cleveland State:
• Tutoring & Academic Support Services
• Writing Center
• Counseling Services
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REMEMBER!
• When it comes to loans…
• ALL loans must be repaid, so utilize scholarships and grants (free
money!) before you consider loans. If you do need to borrow, try to stick
to Federal loans, as private loans usually have higher interest rates.
• Consider the starting rate for the career you intend to pursue after
graduating. Is it enough to pay off your loans on top of living expenses?
• Calculate how much your monthly payment will be based on how
much you borrow and compare it to how much you will be making.
• Only take out loans to cover the cost of school and basic living
expenses.
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REMEMBER!
• At the end of the semester,
Did you have money left over from your loan refunds or did you struggle?
Make adjustments to how much you borrow next year, don’t just accept
whatever is offered! However, you should also adjust your own personal
budget. Mint is a great resource that pools all of your banking
information so you can see in one place how much you’re really spending
on coffee at those “study groups”.
If you have money left over, make a payment on your loans. It can save you
hundreds of dollars if you make quarterly payments on your Unsubsidized
loans, which are already accruing interest.
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REMEMBER!
• Pay yourself first: when you get money, set aside a percentage in a savings
account and forget that it is there so you won’t be tempted to spend it.
• Always be conscious of your lifestyle choices and the effect they have on
your budget: bring a lunch from home, or invest in a coffee pot (a one-time
$20-30 purchase) to save money on all of those pricey trips to the café!
• If you pay off a debt, continue to make those payments into your savings
account – you’re already used to not having the money, so trick yourself into a
good habit.
• Build up an emergency fund for those unexpected colds and doctor’s visits.
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REMEMBER!
• Learn how credit scores are calculated and what you can do to improve
yours. To get started, go to FICO.
• Keep your credit rating high by learning how to properly use credit cards.
• Do NOT adopt a “pay it later” mentality.
• Pay your balances in full so that you do not get charged interest for having a
balance each month.
• Get a credit report done quarterly, and provide as many numbers as you can
for these reports so they are accurate.
• Avoid scams! There are many different kinds out there, but a good rule to follow is
that if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
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Common Types of Scams:
• Financial aid scams
• Debt consolidation
• Pyramid schemes
• Erasing bad credit schemes
Also avoid financial traps, such as rent-to-own and especially payday advancement
loans.
These are usually used to steal your money and/or social security number, the key
to your identity. It is important that you keep a close eye on your credit rating and
bank accounts so that you can react properly and quickly to identity theft.
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Scams such as these are used to steal your private information, and then your
identity. 30% of identity theft occurs in individuals under the age of 30, so here are
some steps you can follow to make sure you aren’t one of them:
• Use secure passwords that are not easy to figure out.
• Keep personal papers in a lock box, or shred them if you plan to get rid of them.
• Do not give out personal information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
• Monitor your credit score.
• Check your bank accounts daily and react immediately to transactions you do not
recognize.
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By now you’re probably thinking that student loans and credit cards are bad news,
but that is not the case. When handled properly, they’re actually a good way to
build up your credit score, which is crucial to buying a house or car in the future.
The most important thing to keep in mind is to not miss payments.
It is also important to make good choices now, as they will benefit you in the longrun. Eat healthy foods and exercise to keep up your immune system and live a
longer, healthier life so you can reap the full benefits of your college education.
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Remember all of those good budgeting and saving habits you developed during
college?
DON’T STOP NOW!
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Put away a portion of every income that you receive.
Have a budget for emergencies.
Have enough money saved up that you could sustain yourself for at least a month
or two if you unexpectedly lost your job.
Constantly assess and adjust your budgets.
Make healthy, smart choices about the food you eat and activities you spend your
money on.
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Your main focus now must be paying off your loans quickly without disrupting your
day-to-day life.
Ask yourself these questions:
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How many different student loans do you have?
Are the loans consolidated?
How much of your loan dept is subsidized? Unsubsidized?
Who are the servicers of each loan? List their names and contact information.
Do you know the interest rate on each loan?
To find the answers to some of these questions:
Try using the federal website to do some research. Review your student loan
history and know what you owe, and become familiar with all the loan terms
such as loan dates, loan amounts, cancelled, outstanding principal and
consolidation.
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RESUMES
JOB SEARCH IDEAS
REVIEW STEPS
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Continued…
Opportunity Costs...And it Pays!
Thinking about paying for college?