Some children on your caseload may be interested in attending college, community college, or vocational school when they graduate from high school. A variety of academic experiences are available to children who have a high school education. It would be helpful to teenagers if social workers are able to educate them about the different options that they are eligible for.
- Students can search the California Colleges website for a variety of college-related services and educational options in California.
- The Alliance for Children's Rights' Foster Youth Education Toolkit has information and resources to help meet the unique educational needs of foster youth
- The California Colleges Pathways website has resources for foster youth interested in attending community college, vocational training, and four-year universities.
- Some students decide to transfer to a University of California (UC) campus or a California State University (CSU) campus after two years of community college or after high school. Read about the transfer requirements.
- High school students must meet the College Freshman Admission Requirements.
- To help clients prepare for and get ready for college, a variety of resources are available:
- Redefining College Readiness
- University of California - College Preparation
- College Preparation Checklist & College Preparation Checklist
- College access programs
- Agencies that help youth prepare for college
- Programs that help youth prepare for the academic challenges of college
- A searchable database of college readiness and enrichment programs in the San Francisco Bay Area
- The California Department of Education provides a list of accredited HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). When social workers encounter African American teenagers, they may want to be familiar with this site as a resource if the teens are interested in this type of institution.
- CCCapply.org is the online portal to community colleges in California. Students are able to complete an online application in English or Spanish.
- The Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) will help to ensure foster youth priority status. A directly of Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI) Liaisons are available at all of the Community Colleges.
- Students can explore career options and fields of study via these resources:
- Career Zone: a fun interactive website that allows users to assess their skills and interests, explore different career fields, and get a "reality check" on what standard living costs are for a desired lifestyle and pay rates for different occupations
- Career One Stop: a variety of career assessments and salary information for different careers
- California Colleges Career Center: a website with links to various interests, skills, values, and personality assessments related to career choices
- Students can learn more about the application process via these resources:
- College Application Planning Guide: general planning guide on applying for college including how to pick a college, steps to apply, and how high school students can begin preparing for college
- Statewide California Community Colleges search
- Community College application
- California State University application
- University of California application