COLLEGE & CAREER
Student & Parent Resources
RCCA COLLEGE & CAREER RESOURCES
College and Career Competency Curriculum (C4)
This program is designed to ensure that every CPS graduate develops the knowledge and applied skills necessary to succeed in both college and career. C4 is grounded in CPS-designed, industry-vetted student competencies across three distinct domains: foundational skills, career awareness and alignment, and academic and financial readiness for postsecondary.
Clemente Post-Sec Plan
Clemente Seminar/Post-Sec Student Document
STUDENT GUIDES
- COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCEDURES
- FINANCIAL AID
- SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
- CAREERS IN TRADES
- UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT INFORMATION
COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCEDURES
1. Narrow down your college list. Focus on schools that MATCH your academic profile (GPA and test scores) and FIT your personal needs and preferences (location, major, cost, social factors). Make sure you’re applying to at least one Illinois public institution, preferably one that is also a match school. Recommended search tools:
- SuperMatch College Search in Naviance
- Cappex
- College Board Big Future
- Niche
2. Make note of the application deadlines and requirements for each schools, such as essays, letters of recommendation, etc. Make sure to target the Early Action or Priority deadlines; meeting these deadlines often increases your chance for scholarships.
3. Request letters of recommendation from your teachers at least 1 month before the application deadline. Make sure to complete the Counselor/Teacher Recommendation Questionnaire in Naviance (About Me > Surveys From Your School).
4. Apply to colleges and keep track of deadlines.
5. Request transcripts at least 10 school days before the application deadline. Fill out the paper Transcript Request Form found in room 111 AND request in Naviance (Colleges > Apply to College > Manage Transcripts).
HOW FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID WORKS
FAFSA Website: www.fafsa.gov
- The FAFSA is the financial aid form used by colleges & universities to determine your financial aid awards.
- You cannot begin the FAFSA until October 1st. Class of 2023, you will be completing the FAFSA for the 2023-2024 school year.
- Both students and a parent must create a FSA ID.* You can create this before October by going to https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id.
- You will complete one FAFSA (for the student). Parents do not create a separate FAFSA.
- Use your 2021 income information. The easiest way to complete the FAFSA is to use the built-in IRS Data Retrieval tool, so that the IRS can populate your financial information into the FAFSA. Doing this requires a FSA ID.
- The FAFSA determines your Expected Family Contribution (EFC): the amount the government thinks your family can contribute toward the student’s education the following year. This is what determines eligibility for various forms of financial aid:
- Grants and scholarships (money you don’t have to pay back)
- Work-study jobs (paid, part-time work on campus)
- Loans (money you need to pay back, usually after you graduate)
- Have the following documents/information on hand for both the student and parents:
- Student and parent Social Security Numbers (be sure they are correct!)**
- Alien Registration number, if you are not a U.S. citizen
- Dates of birth for student and parents
- Month and year of marriage, separation, divorce, or change in marital status
- Records of income, such as income earned from work and business, child support paid and received, and any untaxed income. Refer to W-2 forms and Federal Tax Return Forms.
- Information on savings and checking account balances as well as cash on hand
- Information on investments including stocks, bonds, and real estate (not including the home in which you live)
- Information on business assets, if your business employs 100 or more people
- You will NOT be mailing these records to FAFSA.
*Parents without a Social Security Number cannot create a FSA ID. You must sign the FAFSA by printing the signature page and mailing it in.
**Students without a Social Security Number should NOT complete the FAFSA. If a student has a valid Social Security Number but a parent does not, put 000-00-0000 for the parent’s SSN.
FINANCIAL AID FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
- Students who are undocumented or DREAMers should not complete the FAFSA. Even if you have a temporary social security number through DACA, do not use it to fill out the FAFSA.
- Students who are undocumented are encouraged to complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid in order to receive the Illinois MAP Grant. This application asks for similar information as the FAFSA.
- Work with your counselor to contact schools of interest and inquire about their financial aid procedures or forms for undocumented students.
- While undocumented students cannot receive federal grants or federal student loans, they can receive the Illinois MAP Grant, institutional aid directly from a college, and private scholarships. They also qualify for in-state tuition rates at public Illinois colleges.
SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
ALL students should apply for private scholarship early and often! Do not wait until 2nd semester of senior year when you start receiving your financial aid offers. By then you will have missed out on numerous private scholarship opportunities.
Apply for every scholarship you are eligible for!
Scholarship Search Tools:
CAREERS IN TRADES
Skilled trades are occupations that require special skills and on-the-job training or formal vocational education, but not a four-year college degree. If you are interested in hands-on work, a career in the trades might be right for you!
Today’s jobs in the trades are in HIGH DEMAND. They call for highly skilled workers; many offer substantial salaries; and entering the trades can be highly competitive.
TYPES OF TRADES
Trades commonly fall into one of these main fields: Automotive, Construction, Electrical, Information Technology (IT), Healthcare, and Manufacturing. Trades are also found in the areas of Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, and Law Enforcement.
RESOURCES
REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprenticeships provide paid training for specific skills, typically in association with a trade union. Most unions require people to apply in person and provide an application, driver’s license, U.S. birth certificate or passport, SSN or permanent resident card, academic records, and an application fee. To gain acceptance, you may have to pass an aptitude test, drug screening, and other requirements.
Apprenticeship Guide for Northeastern Illinois
Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Finder
PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS
Pre-apprenticeships programs focus on basic skills and hands-on training to help people get into apprenticeship programs.
HACIA Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
OCCUPATION-SPECIFIC CERTIFICATIONS
High-demand occupations in Illinois include health care, logistics, and information technology, among others. Eligible students can be prepared for these careers through WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) training programs, approved regionally or statewide by Local Workforce Innovation Boards.
DIRECTORY OF CAREER TRAINING & WORKFORCE PATHWAYS
This directory highlights career training opportunities for high growth fields that require less than a 4-year degree
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT INFORMATION
Please tell a trusted adult if you are a student who is undocumented, so we can best support you and help you plan for your future. For example, the Counseling Department can help you work with colleges and identify scholarships open to DREAMers.
COLLEGE ADVISING & SCHOLARSHIP RESOURCES
Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid
CPS Academic Works Scholarship Site
Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling (IACAC)
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
TAX REPORTING: Paying income taxes is the law for anyone who earns wages in the United States, including undocumented immigrants. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues an individualized taxpayer identification number (ITIN) to individuals who are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN). If you need assistance applying for an ITIN, please consider contacting these organizations.
ALTERNATIVE APPLICATION FOR ILLINOIS FINANCIAL AID: The Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid provides a pathway for students who are disqualified from federal aid to apply for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, the state’s largest need-based grant program for low-income college students. Von encourages students who are undocumented to apply for the MAP grant using the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.
IN-STATE TUITION RATES FOR ILLINOIS RESIDENTS: To qualify for in-state tuition rates at public Illinois colleges or universities, undocumented student must meet the following requirements:
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student has resided in Illinois with his/her parent or guardian while attending public or private high school;
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student has graduated from an Illinois public or private high school or received a GED from Illinois;
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student has attended an Illinois high school for at least three (3) years; and
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student provides the university with an affidavit stating they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the U.S. once eligible to do so
A note about college and confidentiality: Bound by FERPA regulations, college staff members take precautions to maintain confidentiality and ensure that records are not shared, nor reported. Data collected from you are for the use of college admission and/or financial aid professionals only.
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights: www.icirr.org
Address: 55 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 2075, Chicago, Illinois 60604
Immigrant Youth Justice League: www.iyjl.org
Address: 4753 N. Broadway Ave., Suite 904, Chicago, Illinois 60640
National Immigrant Justice Center: www.immigrantjustice.org
Address: 208 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1300, Chicago, Illinois 60604