Resources & Tools
Naviance
Naviance is a web-based college and career exploration tool available to our students. Students will register during their Freshman year and be able to start exploring their options after high school. Naviance provides a variety of resources, including:
- Career and Personality Interest Inventories (Myers-Briggs and Strong) to help you discover potential careers and majors that match your skills and interests
- Career Exploration – job descriptions and summaries, and tools to show you the education, skills, and abilities necessary for thousands of careers, as well as expected salaries.
- Resume Builder - students can start keeping track of their activities in one place.
- College & Major search options that can be tailored to your specifications (location, size, etc.), including links to college websites and information about admissions requirements and deadlines
- Building a college list of schools you may be interested in
- Search for scholarships
- Links to summer enrichment programs
- Email notification of upcoming college representative visits
Financial Aid
Financial aid helps students and their families pay for college. It can cover a range of educational expenses, like tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. There are different types of financial aid that can help offset the cost of college.
Different types of financial aid
- Grants - Financial aid from the state that does not have to be repaid
- Scholarships - Free money students can receive from different organizations by filling out applications
- Loans - Borrowed money from the school or private institutions with varying interest rates that needs to be repaid
- Work Study - work program through which you earn money while going to school in order to help you pay
Financial Aid Resources
- Cal Grant
- California Dream Act Application
- CSS Profile
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Other Financial Aid Resources
Cal Grant
The State of California also provides grants. Cal Grants are for students who are pursuing an undergraduate degree or vocational or career training, and do not have to be repaid. In addition to meeting the financial criteria and Cal Grant requirements, you must:
- submit the FAFSA or CA Dream Act Application and your verified Cal Grant GPA by the deadline
- be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen or meet AB540 eligibility criteria
- be a California resident for 1 year
- attend a qualifying California college
- not have a bachelor’s or professional degree
- have financial need at the college of your choice
- have family income and assets below the minimum levels
- be enrolled or plan to enroll in a program leading to an undergraduate degree or certificate
- be enrolled or plan to enroll at least half time
- not owe a refund on any state or federal grant or be in default on a student loan
- not be incarcerated
- maintain the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards as established by the school. Recipients who do not meet the standards are ineligible for Cal Grant payment and will not use eligibility during the terms they are ineligible for payment.
View more information about Cal Grants
California Dream Act Application
The California Dream Act allows undocumented students, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, U Visa holders and students under Temporary Protected Status, who qualify for a non-resident exemption under Assembly Bill 540, Senate Bill 2000, and Senate Bill 68, to receive certain types of financial aid such as private scholarships funded through public universities, state administered financial aid, university grants, community college fee waivers , and Cal Grants. The California Dream Act allows eligible students to pay in-state tuition at any public college in California.
The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) must be completed by March 2.
Learn more about the CADAA
CSS Profile
Many colleges, universities and private scholarship programs collect additional information to assist in the awarding of aid through non-federal financial aid programs. Many private colleges require the CSS profile in addition to the FAFSA and some require that their own financial aid forms are submitted as well. If you are applying to one or more colleges on the CSS Code List, you should complete both the FAFSA and CSS profile.
Please check with individual colleges for deadline dates.
Learn more about the CSS Profile
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required by both public and private universities and colleges before scholarships or financial aid is awarded. For more information about the FAFSA and instructions, the website is www.fafsa.ed.gov. The filing priority date for most colleges is March 2. Within four weeks of filing by mail and a few days after filing online, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor. It will list the student’s expected family contribution, or EFC. A standard formula is used to calculate the EFC, based on the information the student provides on the FAFSA. The SAR will also be sent to the colleges you indicated on the FAFSA. The colleges will use the EFC to determine if you will be offered grants, loans, and/or work-study program. The earlier you file a FAFSA, the more likely you are to hear from the Commission early. Since most colleges have a May 1 deadline for intention to register, it is to your advantage to know as soon as possible about financial aid so that you can make an informed decision regarding which college you will attend. You will fill the FAFSA out your senior year in high school.
The FAFSA must be completed by March 2.
Learn more about the FAFSA
Other Financial Aid Resources
Federal Student Aid - provides an overview of federal student aid programs
FinAid - provides detailed information about scholarships, loans, savings plans, financial aid applications, and more
For additional scholarship information, explore these resources:
Exam Information
Standardized Test Information (SAT & ACT)
Links for test dates and registration
(Fee waivers are available in the College and Career Center for students on free or reduced lunch)
SAT Test
- The ACT contains multiple-choice tests in four areas: English, mathematics, reading and science.
- ACT’s writing test is optional and will not affect your composite score.
SAT & ACT Testing Updates as of September 2022(*for current Juniors & Seniors)
Test Optional Schools - do not require U.S. high school graduates applying for fall 2023 to submit ACT/SAT results before admissions decisions are made.
- Some schools only exempt applicants who meet minimum grade or class rank criteria; others use ACT/SAT scores solely for course placement after students are admitted.
- Please check with individual schools for details.
- Applicants may submit test scores but are not required to.
Test Blind Schools (like UC and CSU) - will not consider SAT, ACT of SAT Subject Test scores when making admission decisions or awarding scholarships.
- If you choose to report test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll. SAT, ACT and SAT Subject Test scores can only be reported after the application has been submitted.
For students who choose to take the SAT or ACT:
Juniors: Plan on taking the test at least once in the spring semester.
If you are not satisfied with your scores, use the summer to do test prep and retake the exam in October.
When registering for the SAT, choose to send your scores to four colleges free of charge.
After you take the test the cost is $12 per school
For Student-Athletes: To send your scores to the NCAA Clearinghouse, use code #9999.
Register early! Testing spaces are limited in our area.
The SAT has implemented new security procedures.
A photo upload is required during registration.
If you do not bring your admissions ticket and your photo ID, you will NOT be admitted into the testing.center.