Going to college is a rite of passage for many teenagers who graduate high school and are looking to further their education before entering the workforce. For many people, attending college can feel like a given, especially if their parents and grandparents went to college. But if you are trying to become the first person in your family to attend college, then you can feel confused by the whole process. Going to college is more than possible if you set your mind to it. Here are a few tips to help you become the first person in your family to attend college.
Excel Academically
The first step to becoming the first person in your family to attend college is excelling academically in high school. If you are still currently in high school, then focus first on getting good grades in school. Your grade point average and standardized test scores play a major role in admissions decisions. Having good grades will help you get accepted to the universities and colleges you wish to attend, and help you receive merit-based scholarships that can lower the cost of continuing your education.
Finish Your Education
If you have not graduated high school and are not currently enrolled, your next step to being the first in your family to graduate college is finishing your education. You cannot go to college with a high school diploma or equivalent. If you dropped out of High School, getting your GED can help you pursue higher education. A GED exam, or General Education Development test, is a test that if you pass, is treated as the equivalent of graduating high school. This means that you can attend college with a GED even if you didn’t graduate high school in the traditional sense.
Apply for Scholarships and Grants
The final step to becoming the first person in your family to attend college is to apply for plenty of scholarship and grant money. It is no secret that the cost of a college education has risen steeply over the last two decades, and the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Apply for every scholarship and grant that you qualify for, as they are a type of financial aid that does not have to be paid back. This means a lower out of pocket cost to you.
It can feel like college is not an option if nobody in your family has been able to take that path before. But if you know the right tricks and tips it is more than attainable. Do these three things, and you are putting yourself in position to be the first in your family to attend college.
Check out this article on how to sign up for your first college classes!