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More and more jobs — especially those involving technology — require
at least some schooling after high school. This means that going to
college is more important than ever for American students.
Several recent federal initiatives have helped make higher education
more affordable for students and their families. Now it becomes important
that all students know they can go to college and that they prepare
themselves by taking the right courses. They should start with algebra
and continue with a full sequence of college prep courses, including
trigonometry, physics, and chemistry. They should be encouraged to
take Advanced Placement courses, tech prep courses, and school-to-work
selections. The fact is that everyone who works hard can go to college;
but students must make up their minds that this is the goal, and make
sure they are properly prepared.
Education is important for everyone. Our entire society benefits from
workers, service providers, craftspeople, artisans, neighbors, and
voters who are informed, aware, and educated. It is in everyone’s
best interest to make sure that every young American gets as much education
as possible so that he or she can go on to lead as productive a life
as possible, contributing as much as possible to “the good of
the order.”
Mentoring, job shadowing, and internship programs have all been proved
to motivate young people and serve as a model for career paths. These
programs can also be a safety net for students having trouble in school.
Starting even at the elementary level, students can benefit from adult
mentors who serve as role models and give the student the special attention
needed to develop confidence in his or her own abilities.
The U.S. Department of Education provides many helpful publications,
free of charge, that provide information on a wide range of subjects
around the college experience. Publications on financial aid, which
can be obtained by calling the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-4-FEDAID,
include:
• The Student Guide: A Resource on Student Financial Aid.
• Funding Your Education.
The following publications can be obtained by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN
or by looking on the Internet at www.ed.gov:
• Getting Reading for College Early: A Handbook for Parents of Students
in the Middle and Junior High School Years.
• Information on the HOPE Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credits.
• Preparing Your Child for College (A Resource Book for Parents of High
School Students).
• Think College? Me? Now? A Handbook for Middle and Junior High School
Students.
The following publication is available by calling the National Library
of Education at 1-800-424-1616: Confronting the Odds: Students at Risk
and the Pipeline to Higher Education.
College is within everyone’s reach and all these resources can
help in the pursuit of higher education.
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