College Planning
The cost of attending college is a concern for parents and students. From the modest cost of attending a community college like Napa Valley College to the higher cost of going to an independent (private) college…there is a need to understand the challenge of paying for college. The following information may be of help to understand some basic terminology and information about financial aid.
Feel free to use these worksheets to help you compare college costs and to decide which college is the best fit.
WHAT IS THE COST OF GOING TO COLLEGE?
Tuition and Fees...
Tuition charges help pay for the cost of instruction.
Some colleges charge fees in addition to tuition.
Independent (Private) college tuition is significantly higher than public colleges.
Check college website for information regarding tuition and fees.
Room and Board...
Students living away from home have both housing and food costs.
Many colleges provide campus housing for frosh students.
Check college website for on-campus room and board costs.
Travel...
Need to consider costs of traveling from home to college.
Estimate number of trips home during college year.
Some colleges allow cars on campus... but parking fees are involved.
Books...
All college textbooks must be purchased or rented.
Book costs can add up to several hundred dollars each year.
Finding used textbooks at campus bookstores can help reduce book costs.
Amazon & Chegg offer lower rates on some textbook rentals & purchases.
Personal Expenses...
May need new clothes to cope with climate of college.
Going to campus activities from football games to concerts.
(Always check the college website for information regarding the above categories…and remember to consider the cost of travel)
WHO QUALIFIES FOR FINANCIAL AID?
To qualify for financial aid…families must demonstrate a “need”…college costs minus your family’s contribution equals your “need.” The family contribution is determined from the information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). Some factors involved in estimating family contribution are income, assets, and age of your parents as well as the number of children in your family.
WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF FINANCIAL AID?
STATE OF CALIFORNIA: The CAL Grant program awards grants that help pay tuition costs for California students going to a California public or independent college.
COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS: Organizations in the community give scholarships that are usually one year awards to outstanding Seniors. See Mrs. de Lorimier in Student Services for more information.
COLLEGES: Every college has a financial aid office which helps students find grants, loans, scholarships and work study programs. Request information from the Financial Aid Office at the college you will attend about loans that are available to parents and students.
MILITARY: The military services have opportunities that range from programs for enlisted persons to attendance at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy.
WHAT APPLICATIONS ARE NEEDED TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID?
FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID... FAFSA
All colleges want the FAFSA form completed.
The FAFSA can be obtained on-line at the FAFSA website.
Submit FAFSA either on-line or by mail during January and February.
FAFSA gives "basic" financial aid information to US Government and colleges.
Required to qualify for federal financial aid programs.
No fee involved...the FAFSA is Free.
CAL GRANT INFORMATION
Cal Grant Awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses. These awards do not have to be paid back. Click here for the CAL GRANT GPA VERIFICATION FORM.
THIS LINK PROVIDES A HELPFUL STEP BY STEP TUTORIAL FOR FILLING OUT BOTH THE FAFSA AND THE CSS PROFILE: www.getcollegefunding.org/howto
College representatives visit Napa High to meet with students and discuss different aspects of college. We are hosting visits in person and virtually. Check out the calendar or list below for more information.
Be sure to check back as both will be updated as more colleges sign up!
Click here for the College Visit Calendar
List of College Visits (Virtual & In-Person)
Process for College Rep Visits
Are you a College Rep? Please go to Counselor Community through RepVisits (Naviance) to schedule an appointment with our high school.
You may apply to any CSU school through this site. Also, it has helpful information to assist you in planning for college and provides essential tools to help in the decision-making process.
This website will lead you to the UC application including the most up-to-date news on what is happening at the UC. Direct links to individual universities.
Over 900 private universities and colleges use the Common App. This website includes the application and features to help search through the various schools.
The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities consists of 84 colleges throughout California. Along with information for the schools, students can find planning information including ADT (Associate Degree to Transfer).
State website geared to help you define what is the best course for your education and offers information regarding the hundreds of community colleges within California.
ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system that shows how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. Use this system if you hope to transfer from a community college to a UC or CSU.
All branches of the military are found here. Very helpful website when exploring what options are available if you have an interest in joining. More information regarding the ASVAB can also be found on this site.
STUDY.COM - How to Apply to College: The Ultimate Guide
This website has a large variety of resources and information regarding almost all aspects of applying to college. Keep in mind that it might have some paid content, but it seems minimal compared to other websites and we still felt the information was important to share.
Study Point - Preparing for SAT or ACT
StudyPoint is offering free virtual practice tests for the SAT or ACT, and you can take the practice test from your home. Anyone who participates will receive a free score analysis that breaks down how you did by section, question type, and content area so you can get a sense of where you might want to do some review prior to the real thing. They run multiple practice tests each week. If you're interested you can view available dates and register for a test here.
Mrs. Andrilla made a couple of videos walking students through the application process:
Common App Ready (August Issue)
What's the Difference? - College Application Types
Early Decision vs. Early Action - What to Know About Applying Early
Here are some helpful links, along with the workshops listed below.
- UC application dates and information
- CSU Freshman application guide
- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) guide
- CSU Application fee waiver information
- Senior Year College Application Timeline (Español)
- High School Details Information Sheet
UCSB YouTube Channel - lots of helpful videos!
Transcript Request (How to add Colleges in Naviance)
Letter of Recommendation Request
What's the Difference? - SAT vs ACT
University of California A-G Resource Guide
Study.com - Guide to Applying to UC Schools
CSU Campus Events (listing of tours & presentations at the different CSU campuses throughout the year. Check back for updates.)
FAFSA - Apply for Aid; Federal Student Aid
California Dream Act Application (CADAA)
Cal Grants - California Student Aid Commission
Breakdown of the Student Aid Report
Breaking Down Your Award Letter
Negotiating for More Financial Aid
Alternative Ways to Pay for College
collegecovered.com - helpful information regarding college
College Facilities
Recommendations on college facilities to evaluate when you visit/research a particular college:
- Residence Halls (Do they have gender neutral housing?)
- Bathrooms (Are there single stall bathrooms in every building, etc.)
- Campus Climate (Where geographically is the campus located?
- Academically, can you identify programs that explore and educate students about gender identity, feminism, etc.)
TIPS
- The more information there is about non-gender conforming students, programs, and facilities available on a college website, the more likely they are to accommodate LGBTIA+ students
- Campus Healthcare: Does it also cover hormone replacement therapy?
- Name Changes: Depending on the school, you may need to contact the registrar, title IX officer and/or residence hall before you arrive
- Institutional Support: Is there a resource center for LGBTQIA+ students?
Colleges to Checkout
Evergreen State College
Bard College
UC Berkeley
UCLA
SF State
Hofstra University
Reed College
Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst
USC
UC Santa Barbara
University of Oregon
YOU CAN GO TO A 4-YEAR OR A 2-YEAR COLLEGE AS AN UNDOCUMENTED OR DACA STUDENT
Accessing the American Dream: Pursuing College as an Undocumented Student - Feb 2022 article with a lot of information
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES BINDER - filled with lots of information
TIPS FOR RESEARCHING COLLEGES
- California has the highest percentage of colleges serving undocumented and DACA students (so you are in the right place). I recommend starting your college search in California
- Look for sanctuary campuses or HSIs (Hispanic serving institutions)
- Immigrants Rising is a GREAT resource that we encourage you to use--especially for scholarships
- Make an appointment with your counselor for some help
FINANCIAL AID
- Starting October 1st, you can fill out the DREAM Act. It's the state equivalent of the FAFSA (which you cannot fill out)
- AB540- If you qualify for AB540, you can qualify for in state tuition
- If your parents are undocumented, but you are a US citizen then you will fill out FAFSA
- If you are an academically competitive student, you should consider applying to a private college or university. Quite have small cohorts of undocumented students, and upon admission offer amazing financial aid
Visit the DACA site for more information.
COLLEGES TO CHECKOUT
The entire UC system
Pitzer College
Smith College
All CSUs
Wesleyan
Tufts
Stanford
Reed College
Whitman College
