Paying for College Unit

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Understand the difference between sticker price and net price of college
• Compare the sticker price and net price of top ranked 2- and 4-year colleges
• Move, up out of their seats, in a fun college ranking game

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Examine a number of cartoons about student loan debt and choose one to analyze in more depth
• Explain the cartoon's key message about student loan debt and how it depicts that message

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Brainstorm various strategies and sample responses for several scholarship essay prompts
• Explore other students’ ideas and responses through guided Gallery Walk 

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In this activity students will be able to:

• Make real-time and realistic decisions to try to manage student debt
• Experience the consequence for each decision they make on: focus, attention, happiness, and student debt

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In this activity, students will be able to:

• Determine the difference between sticker price and net price for colleges
• Analyze information from an interactive using a spreadsheet
• Evaluate potential colleges based on their price comparison

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Work in groups to analyze a number of online tools they can use in their paying for college process
• Present the tools they researched to their classmates
• Identify which tools they are most likely to use when planning how to pay for college 

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Answer questions by looking at a sample student aid report
• Understand the importance of carefully reviewing one's SAR

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Analyze the profiles of two students to make decisions about which college to attend and what major to pursue
• Use two online tools to research college and career options they are personally interested in and considering for their futures
• Available in English & Spanish

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Calculate the value of a college education.
• First, they will estimate its value. Then, they will use a chart from the Dept. of Labor to calculate the value (in career earnings) of different levels of education. Finally they will reflect on that value.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Assess college expenses as needs or wants and then discuss their decisions with a partner

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In this activity, students will be able to:

• Compare the different types of student loans.
• This includes Federal vs Private loans, the different types of Federal Loans (Perkins, Stafford/Direct, and Direct Plus), and subsidized vs unsubsidized loans.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• take a variety of factors about individuals (salary, location and student loan debt)
• use a student loan repayment calculator to preview their repayment options
• determine which repayment option is best.
• Available in English & Spanish

In this activity, students will be able to:  

• Make choices regarding income in college
• Set aside money to pay yourself first in savings
• Create a monthly budget to follow during freshman year
• And then reflect on the process of budgeting.
• Available in English & Spanish

Note: If you'd like students to create a budget using their Financial Aid Award Letter, use this activity instead! 

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Conduct research on the various student loan options available
• Create an infographic to organize their findings

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Understand the various types of financial aid described in a financial aid offer letter
• Compare two financial aid offer letters to identify which one offers the best package

In this activity, students will be able to: 

• Research FAFSA deadlines at the college, state, and federal levels
• Explain what the FAFSA verification process is and how to complete it 
• Reflect on what skills they will need to to meet all FAFSA deadlines

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Find scholarships and grants to help them pay for college.
• Identify personal characteristics that can make them candidates for specific scholarships.
• Find scholarships using internet platforms.
• Develop a “plan of attack” for securing grants/scholarships.
• Available in English & Spanish

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Clarify some of the most common myths that many students may have about the FAFSA
• Research how many students in their school and state file the FAFSA

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In this activity, students will be able to:

• Prepare for and engage in a role play as a college student making budgeting decisions withstanding peer pressure
• Available in English and Spanish

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In this Case Study, students assume the role of guidance counselor to help students clear their misconceptions about the sticker price of college and other important factors they should consider when choosing a school.

In this Case Study, students assume the role of an older sister who had been through the college repayment experience to help her younger brother think about all of the important factors in paying for college after you graduate. 

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Calculate mean, median, and mode
• Analyze data on college costs

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Analyze a histogram of student loan debt
• Make predictions about the future distribution of student loan debt

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Analyze a stacked bar graph that breaks down student expenses for different types of colleges.
• Compare the cost of tuition, room and board, boks, transportation, and other college expenses.
• Compare college costs at private four-year colleges, public four-year out-of-state colleges, public four-year in-state colleges, and public two-year commuter colleges.

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Compare annual earnings of college and high school graduates of different age groups
• Discuss the value of a college degree
• Explain when a college degree is and/or is not valuable

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Compare earnings of college graduates with different majors
• Discuss factors that affect earnings
• Hypothesize how average salaries of different majors would be impacted by changing external factors

In this activity, students will be able to:

• Analyze bar graphs of the graduation rate and return on investment for the 10 colleges with the highest 20-year ROI.