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A Parent’s College Checklist

As a parent, you have a front row seat to your child’s personality and skills. You can help your child successfully launch to the next step after high school, whether that is going straight into the workforce, joining the military, or attending trade school or college.

Research

  • Follow Bank of North Dakota on Facebook to receive updates with the latest in planning for life after high school.
  • Help your child explore careers and offer to connect them to people who work in their fields of interest. If you don’t know anyone, ask around.
  • Introduce your child to RUReady.ND.gov, a website that provides excellent information on career choices, high school coursework, practice tests and career preparation.
  • Educate yourself as a parent about the career fields of the future and what educational programs or experience is needed for those fields.
  • Find out if your child’s school conducts tutoring sessions or where materials are available for your child to study for the ACT® and WorkKeys® exams. The time for your child to prepare for these is during their sophomore and junior years.
  • Visit with parents of juniors and seniors, and those of children who graduated last year, to glean from their lessons learned.

Classes and Grades

  • Research dual credit and advanced placement (AP) courses, so your child can take college courses during high school and cut down the amount of time in college later. If needed, they can apply for a student loan or, if eligible, dual credit assistance offered by BND.
  • Ask your child if they have a high school class plan that meets college entrance requirements.
  • Help your child foster good study habits and consider a tutor to get them on the right track.

Outside-of-school Activities

  • Recommend your child keep track of extracurricular activities, volunteer work, honors and awards in their Dollars for Scholars profile at northdakota.dollarsforscholars.org .
  • Encourage your child to work or volunteer. It’ll give them excellent learning opportunities and customer service and leadership skills.
  • Teach your child how to manage money and live on a budget as well as other live skills like cooking, laundry and basic car maintenance.
  • Start discussing these financial items that need to be covered after high school graduation: health care, transportation, cellphone bills and other budget items.
  • Start a College SAVE account if you have not already. If your child has not yet turned 16 years of age, you may qualify for a $300 BND Match which is based on your income.
  • Have your child create an email account for college correspondence. The new address should be suitable and reflect professionalism.
  • Help them research how much college costs. Look at the Regional College Cost Sheet in BND’s College Handbook to compare .
  • Have your child start looking at scholarship options early and often.
  • Encourage your child, if they are getting good grades, to visit with their school counselor about the North Dakota Academic/Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship.
  • Attend school-sponsored FAFSA and career events and watch the videos on Bank of North Dakota’s YouTube channel for assistance.
  • Visit two or three colleges with your child.
  • Determine the maximum amount of student loans that are financially reasonable to incur based on the chosen profession for your child. Check out the calculators on BND’s website to assist you.
  • Senior year considerations
    • Complete the FAFSA any time after October 1 of your child’s senior year. Complete this early because some financial aid opportunities are first-come, first-served.
    • Check if your child’s high school participates in College Application Month in the fall.
    • Encourage your child to apply for at least two scholarships per month and to check if they may qualify for the North Dakota Academic/Career & Technical Education (CTE).
    • Complete the enrollment process at the college your child wants to attend.
    • Finish up college campus visits.
    • Review financial aid offers from colleges.
    • Have your child inform the colleges they’re declining that they won’t be attending.
    • Submit the required paperwork for college enrollment and housing
    • Suggest your child take CLEP and DSST exams to test out of introductory college courses.
    • Help your child submit the North Dakota Dollars for Scholars application at northdakota.dollarsforscholars.org by March 30.

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