Surf the Web!
The Web can be a vast source of information about college, training programs, careers, and financial aid. When you surf the Web, though, you never quite know where you'll end up. Sometime you can't easily judge the reliability of the information you access.
Below are some Web sites VSAC staff have found useful in helping students and families.
While we can't vouch for the information offered at these and other sites, the following sites are established and well-known.
- Note that domain names (e.g. vsac.org) with extensions ".org" or ".edu" are used primarily by nonprofit and educational organizations.
- The extension ".com" generally designates a for-profit or commercially-oriented enterprise.
Education/Career/Financial Aid
www.ed.gov/index.jsp
U.S. Department of Education's Web site. It lists information for kindergarten through graduate studies, as well as policy papers and press releases — so it's a bit overwhelming. But the links are useful, including the one that allows you to file your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online. You might also want to take a look at the section for anyone thinking of going, or going back, to college (direct address is www.ed.gov/thinkcollege/)
nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool
This site is operated by an arm of the U.S. Department of Education called the National Center for Education Statistics. A "cool" feature is a college selection search tool that can help you find any school in the country, provide basic information about the school, and link you to the school's Web site. The address above takes you right to the search tool so you don't have to wade through mountains of statistics.
www.collegeboard.com
The College Board's site. There's a section for "students and parents," as well as information about the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which the College Board administers.
www.petersons.com
Petersons has published college guides for many years. Its Web site contains information in 10 different sections that you can search.
www.collegenet.com
CollegeNET is a general guide to colleges and universities. You can browse for schools based on factors such as geography, tuition, and enrollment.
www.collegeview.com
CollegeView offers profiles of more than 3,800 colleges and universities, along with online applications, financial aid information, and career planning tools.
www.educationindex.com
Education Index bills itself as "an annotated guide to the best education-related sites on the Web." Sites are sorted by "subject" and "lifestage." The site, operated by CollegeView, is colorful, upbeat, and fun.
www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/eduhome.htm
U.S. News and World Report is famous for its rankings of colleges and universities, but its site is rich with other higher education information, too. A caveat: Much of the online information is restricted to viewers who pay a "premium" for access.
www.learnmoreindiana.org/
The Learn More Resource Center offers information about postsecondary education, careers, and financial aid.
www.finaid.org
Everything you could ask for regarding financial aid.
www.monster.com
Visiting the Monster Board might be the most fun you've ever had looking for a job.
labor.vermont.gov
The State of Vermont Department of Labor offers a wide array of information on jobs and job trends. You can view positions that are open, or post your own resume.
http://www.studentservices.com/fastweb
FastWeb is an online scholarship search service. You can establish a "mailbox" to receive scholarship updates, and the frequently asked questions section is quite informative.
apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
Scholarship search feature at the College Board Web site. You can locate internships here, too.
www.themint.org
Gain personal financial skills to manage your money. This site is one of many working to help teens and young adults gain personal financial literacy.
www.jumpstart.org
"Financial smarts for students" is how the Jump$tart Coalition describes its work. It's a collaborative effort among financial institutions and nonprofit organizations.
