Beyond High School: How to Prepare for What's Next

Choosing a Path  

For high schoolers and even middle schoolers, planning for a future career can be as confusing as it is exciting. The same goes for parents looking to guide their sons and daughters in the direction that best suits their interests and strengths. 

The good news is our state offers a wealth of education offerings, whether one is hoping to earn a four-year degree at a public or private university, attend a community college closer to home or learn a trade at one of the Ohio Technical Centers across the state. 

“There are many different postsecondary education options and career pathways, and you can find them all here in Ohio,” says Jeff Robinson, Director of Communications for the Ohio Department of Higher Education. “[It’s] not one size fits all.” 

Robinson also emphasizes a message Gov. Mike DeWine has delivered addressing Ohio’s postsecondary education and workforce-development initiatives: The state is working to make sure students can get their education here and also secure a job here.  

The variety of educational opportunities available is greater than ever before, and the growth of high-demand fields — and the wages that go with them — offers students new ways to look at what a postsecondary education means. 

“We want students to think about their options beyond high school, whether it’s going directly into the workforce, postsecondary education or the military,” explains Carlos Bing, Senior Director of College Access Programs at the Ohio Department of Higher Education. “Those are all great options. The end game is a career.” 

How Parents Can Prepare 

Saving for college can be a daunting task, particularly as the cost of a postsecondary education grows. The average tuition for a four-year public university doubled between the 1993-1994 and 2023-2024 school years, according to statistics from the College Board, a nonprofit organization that works to aid students in achieving college success. 

Parents who want to begin saving for their kids’ postsecondary education can do so by way of Ohio’s CollegeAdvantage 529 Savings Plan. Contributions are tax free and grow over the years. Also, family members beyond parents can contribute. Families can start a 529 Savings Plan when a child is a day old or anytime throughout a student’s schooling with an initial contribution of $25. 

Ohio’s plan is one of the nation’s most robust tax-advantage college savings plans and highly flexible, so dollars set aside can be applied toward a wide range of educational pursuits, from college to trade schools to certificate programs and apprenticeships at more than 30,000 participating institutions nationwide. 

“Ohio has one of the oldest, largest and best-regarded plans in the country,” says Ben Gibbons, Director of Marketing for Ohio’s 529 Plan. “Your money grows tax free, and you can deduct up to $4,000 per year per beneficiary off your state of Ohio income taxes to reduce your tax burden.” 

New for 2024 and beyond, additional funds left in a 529 Plan account can be rolled into a Roth IRA in the name of the beneficiary. Also, families who start an Ohio 529 Plan for their kids and later move out of state can retain the plan. Getting started is simple. For more information and guidance on starting a plan, visit collegeadvantage.com. 

The Middle School and High School Years 

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s a question we innocently ask kids from the time they can imagine rocketing into outer space or donning firefighter gear. It’s also a question that should be actively considered as students reach middle school age, a time when they are old enough to begin envisioning the future and their place in it.  

Some of the earliest career-exploration efforts are often informal and inquisitive. For instance, at the dentist’s office, a parent may wonder aloud to their student where a dental hygienist learned how to do his job. Or while waiting on an oil change, a parent may ask if their son or daughter would be interested in asking for a quick tour of the mechanic’s shop. Every day, we are surrounded by fulfilling and interesting careers. 

“A career pathway is not something you build as a bystander,” says Rebecca Stewart, Director of Ohio’s College Credit Plus program, which offers students the opportunity to earn credit for college coursework prior to high school graduation. “Middle school is a great time to guide students and start having those career-exploration conversations. What interests your student?”

During middle-school years, students can try different classes, electives, clubs and extracurricular activities to see what they enjoy and where they excel. What surprises many parents and students, Stewart points out, is that kids can begin earning college credits in middle school as early as seventh grade. 

Taking a college course from a public university or college through College Credit Plus is free with no cost for tuition, books or fees. Some high schools have an agreement with specific postsecondary institutions, but families can choose any public college in Ohio. Additionally, some high school teachers are accredited to teach the courses, so students may be able to earn college credits without leaving their school’s campus.  

Because of Ohio's vast articulation and transfer policy, public institutions within Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways apply every College Credit Plus hour earned toward a desired degree, which allows students to get a head start on their degree and benefit from the cost savings that come with doing so. 

Meanwhile, Ohio public high school juniors who are on track to graduate in the top 5% of their class and plan on attending an Ohio institution of higher education may be selected to receive a Governor’s Merit Scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 per year in financial assistance. 

Each Ohio public and chartered private high school can nominate a number of students equal to 5% of their juniors on track to graduate per year, says Chris Kacir, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success at the Ohio Department of Higher Education. 

“Students are notified in the fall of their senior year, so they know early in the college decision-making process,” Kacir says. 

Students must attend an Ohio school to receive the funding, and the renewable scholarship can be used to cover tuition, fees, room and board, transportation, equipment and books. 

The Choose Ohio First Scholarship program awards funding to Ohio colleges and universities as a way to encourage students to study academic programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields or become STEM teachers, and there are hundreds of qualifying majors, from nursing to engineering. 

Students apply through participating institutions, which make final decisions and are listed on the Choose Ohio First webpage at highered.ohio.gov. Award amounts vary each year as well as from college to college. For the 2022–2023 academic year, the average scholarship was $4,271 at a four-year college and $2,317 for two-year programs.

Choose Ohio First also offers valuable student support and early career development, says Emily Turner, Director of Choose Ohio First. Students are assigned to a cohort and institutions provide work-based learning experiences and other activities that support STEM students.

“In addition to the scholarship funds, students appreciate the peer group they have through the program as a way to acclimate to college and gain skills like interview preparation, networking and building a resume,” Turner says. 

An Ohio Department of Higher Education program called 3 to Get Ready, 4 to Go aims to keep enthusiasm high for students between high school graduation day and their next step toward their postsecondary education goals. Families who register through the Ohio Department of Higher Education website receive a packet of materials to inform, engage and encourage forward momentum by identifying seven steps, beginning with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA. 

“The campaign was born out of the idea to get every single high school senior to apply to at least one college,” Bing says. 

He notes it was inspired by a national movement, the American College Application Campaign. In Ohio, it has evolved into a multi-step initiative to guide students from completing the FAFSA to seeking out support services after high school graduation and once on campus. 

“The program spreads awareness with the steps outlined to make a postsecondary plan and eventually join the workforce,” Bing says.

Affordable Pathways 

Once students are on track with completed college applications or a postsecondary plan, the next question is: How can education after high school be more affordable? 

There are many routes to reduce the expense and achieve the same end goal. For example, if a career requires a bachelor’s degree, students can complete core classes at a two-year community college at a lower cost and seamlessly transfer those credit hours to an accredited, public institution in the state through Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathways.

Another option is Ohio’s 3+1 program, where students pay a community college rate to earn an associate degree, plus up to 30 additional hours that apply toward a bachelor's degree. The last year is completed online from a participating university. 

For example, Sinclair College offers students a 3+1 degree plan for a bachelor’s degree in Technical and Applied Studies in association with Ohio University. Students can study for three years at Sinclair’s lower tuition rate before finishing the fourth year of the program online as an Ohio University student without ever having to leave the Dayton area.

Columbus State Community College has similar programs with Otterbein University in Westerville and Franklin University in Columbus.  

“Students can choose to finish their bachelor’s on the Columbus State campus and will graduate with a degree from Otterbein or Franklin,” Bing explains. 

Coupling these programs with financial aid can remove barriers to postsecondary education. Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens access to loans, work-study programs, grants and scholarships. It’s free to complete and unlocks opportunities for college and state aid too. The new FAFSA debuted in December 2023, and there were launch issues that have been resolved, Bing says. The new form includes fewer application questions and expands aid eligibility.  

“In Ohio, we know there is upwards of $100 million dollars of financial aid left on the table every year from students not completing the FAFSA,” Bing says. “It’s just one form to complete.”

This story ran in the Summer-Fall 2024 issue of College 101.