Career and Technical Education Options
By now, your junior most likely has a tentative — or solid — pathway in place and has hopefully whittled down the list of career options to two or three, possibly using a process of elimination. After all, it’s just as useful knowing what one doesn’t want to do as knowing the exact thing one wants to do. It’s now time to decide how much education and training is required for the desired career.
Why It Matters
- Begin with the end in mind.
If the career requires a bachelor or associate degree, your student should keep that outcome in mind to determine the actions or steps needed to achieve it. Community colleges offer two-year associate degree programs in addition to apprenticeship or certificate programs. Traditional public and private four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor degree programs. Many also offer graduate or professional programs to earn advanced credentials. - Determine the preferred length of education.
Your student may be adamant that high school completion is where their academic pursuits end. But research continues to show that completing any additional education or training after high school provides more economic stability than for those who earn only a high school diploma.
What Your Student Can Do Now
- Explore interests in further detail.
Your student has most likely completed several career assessments; however, one way of selecting a career is to first choose the level of education the career needs. The U.S. Department of Labor created an interest profile for that purpose. My Next Move has users choose the level of job preparation they want to pursue — little or no, some, medium, high or extensive. A 60-question survey calculates a score in six different interest areas — realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. With those two measurements, the tool then suggests different jobs and pinpoints the knowledge, skills, abilities and personality people have who work in the career. It also describes the technology, education and job outlook for the career. - Pair the future career with the appropriate educational level.
The now shorter list of career options will provide direction when researching higher education options. If college isn’t required, your student’s research will gravitate more toward training programs or registered apprenticeships, many of which are offered through community colleges (examples in the right sidebar). If a college degree is required, your student’s research will focus on which type of college provides the best outcome for the major or program of choice. - Research colleges.
If college is required for the potential major and career plan, your student can begin the college search process. Community colleges typically offer certificate and two-year associate degrees at a significantly lower tuition cost than a four-year college (find the link to a list of Iowa community colleges in the right sidebar). If one is located within your area, living at home eliminates housing and meal costs your student has to pay. The college may also have an agreement with a four-year college, which makes for a seamless transition, reduces borrowing and gives your student junior status immediately upon entering. Starting at either a four-year public or private institution means your student begins as a freshman and graduates after four or more years of attendance. - Gain practical skills with hands-on training.
As a result of federal and state legislation, career and technical education is gaining attention in Iowa high schools’ curriculum and offerings. Schools are finding innovative ways to partner with local community colleges or businesses to deliver hands-on training and work-based learning in skilled trades and other in-demand occupations. Your student should consult with the counselor or the school’s course guide for these opportunities. In Iowa, the Future Ready Iowa initiative helps businesses across the state connect with schools and students through shared projects that give students professional experience. Many times, these opportunities are coordinated through virtual projects or online meetings, eliminating travel costs for both students and business partners.
What Your Student Can Do Later
- Determine if the education level is affordable.
Now that a list of potential careers and education levels has been created, it’s time to consider what is affordable for your student. If your student is headed to college, review each college’s admissions website for information regarding current costs and find the school’s Net Price Calculator, which is a tool to estimate the total amount — out-of-pocket costs — you and your student are expected to pay. The out of pocket costs are also referred to as the gap — the difference between what your student will be charged for attending the school and the estimated financial aid that can be received. - Know the difference between sticker price and actual price.
Sticker price refers to a college’s total cost of attendance, which includes tuition and fees, any housing and meal costs, books and supplies, personal expenses, transportation and any other costs associated with a program. For example, an auto collision program may require that a student purchases or rents tools. Since this is a required element of the program, the cost is included in the cost of attendance. However, the actual price is what the student owes the school for the services being used, such as tuition and fees or housing and meals if living on campus. The other components included in the cost of attendance are paid at the student’s discretion. For instance, a student who rents textbooks may only spend $200 per year versus spending $1,000 per year for all new textbooks as suggested by the cost of attendance figure. - Calculate how much money can be saved and earned for college.
Have your student add up how much money has already been saved for college and run a rough estimate of how much more can be earned from a part-time job from now until college begins. Any college savings accounts and potential graduation gifts can also be included in this figure. College savings plan funds can be used to pay for any qualified school expense at any eligible institution in the United States. This means any cost associated with a certificate or degree program listed in the cost of attendance is a qualified school expense. A national study, How America Pays for College 2023, reported that the largest portion of college costs was paid from the parents’ income and savings. The second-largest portion was covered by scholarships and grants, followed by students’ borrowing, income and savings.
What You Can Do
- Offer sound advice.
Assist your student by providing practical advice and guidance along the way. Acknowledge that college attendance may not be the best fit for your student, especially if the expense of college far outweighs the potential career earnings. Explore unique ways outside of school where your student can gain practical work experience in a career interest. If you attended college, realize that the process is very different from your own experience and there is more information you will gather to help your student. Offer reasonable suggestions and research the types of federal financial aid your student could potentially receive by completing the FAFSA — Free Application for Federal Student Aid — during senior year of high school. - Determine if college is an affordable option for all of you.
Completing the FAFSA is only the starting point in receiving financial aid for college attendance. Federal aid sources offer limited funding, which means it’s highly unlikely that every college expense a student has will be covered with aid from the government. The federal government, as well as colleges and universities, anticipate that parents and students will contribute from their own resources. Colleges provide assistance as equitably as possible to as many students as they can while following a multitude of regulations and requirements.
Registration is still open through March 29 for a scholarship for Iowa high school students, not just seniors. The scholarship awards $1,000 College Savings Iowa deposits, which can be used when your student is ready to pay educational expenses. Register at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/ScholarshipSignUp.
Next Steps
Be sure to complete the survey questions at the end of this article to be entered into the 529 deposit giveaway!
Additional references, handouts and talking points are available in the right sidebar to use at your leisure. They may prove beneficial to reference now or after receiving future emails — we’ll leave it completely up to you. Use our emails like a recipe for a successful outcome — assemble the recommended ingredients and then follow accompanying directions to add flavor and depth.