Attending a college/university or joining the military is usually the next step after graduating

high school. Currently, the aid given by Bishop Noll to help juniors plan for their future after high school comes from CCP and Naviance, but the know-how of this program just isn’t present.. There are also workshops given every fall on All School Test day, but this is available for seniors only and the juniors looking to get a head start on college applications are left to fend for themselves.

   The good news is, Ms. Jessica Ramos, college counselor, says she hopes to plan a summer college application boot camp for juniors and further information will be announced soon.

“Students would be able to start applying before school starts and it would alleviate some of the pressure. My initial thoughts are [that we will help them with] the college application process, how to request transcripts, application essays, scholarship searches, college rep questions, and maybe even schedule a college trip,” says Jessica Ramos.

  In preparation for college, Noll will be taking all juniors to a college fair at Prairie State college some time during the second semester between March and April. There is also talk about taking a trip to Indiana State or St. Joseph’s in Rensselaer, but those trips are not yet set in stone.

Throughout the previous years, many of Noll’s graduates went on to attend Purdue Calumet in Hammond Indiana. Many of Noll’s graduates attend Purdue Cal because they have a Hammond College Bound scholarship which covers most, if not all of their tuition and costs.

  “It is really an affordable option for students to get a quality education,” says Jessica Ramos who is one of the guidance counselors at Noll. She also tells us that many of our students go to Purdue Cal to participate in NAIA sports. She mentions Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech are also affordable and quality colleges in the area.

  But for someone who wants to further their education after high school, it is best to check out in-state and out-of -state colleges but ultimately decide what is best for you.

  “It’s all about finding your own niche,” says Jessica Ramos.

  Students should think about if they want to go far or stay local. It is more expensive to go far but the experience could be priceless and help the student branch out and get out of their comfort zone. However, if the student doesn’t want to be too far from home, then it would be best to stay local.

   “I encourage students to keep their minds open but really think about what is most important to them in determining college options,” says Jessica Ramos.

  Not everyone one wants to go to college or the military after graduating from high school so what do we do to help them?

  Well, at Noll, continued education is always encouraged, whether it’s a 4 year college, a 2 year college, or even trade/apprenticeship programs.  Also, if a student doesn’t want to go to a university, then he or she can go to a community college. Community colleges are great too because it’s not far from home and it is inexpensive. It isn’t imperative for a student to go to a university to get a quality education and a good kickstart to their career.

  “It’s all about WHAT you do when you are at college and what experience you have,” says Ramos.

  Even though the school offers plenty of help for seniors applying to college, help for the college application process needs to start earlier. Personally, I think on All School Test Day, the juniors should be in the workshops after testing. I feel that the workshops would be more beneficial for juniors more than seniors because usually seniors have already applied to colleges by then or know how to apply, whereas juniors do not.

  Also, more out-of-state colleges should be introduced to Bishop Noll students during college visits. Even though going out-of-state is very expensive, there are many scholarships outside of Hammond’s College Bound scholarship. Not only are there many scholarships available, but financial aid and student loans are feasible for students who intend to work and pay back any loans immediately after college.

  Many people don’t want to take out loans because they believe they will have the struggle of paying back their loans for many years that follow after college. However, what most people don’t know is that depending on your circumstances and the loans you’ve accrued, most student loans are repayable in affordable installments. President Obama has a new student loan forgiveness plan, called the “REPAYE Student Loan Plan”, which was just launched On October 27, 2015. This is a revision to the “Pay As You Earn Student (PAYE) Loan Repayment Plan” and allows graduates with undergrad debt to have their payments capped at 10-percent of their discretionary income (the amount you have left for spending on fun stuff). These programs are eligible to anyone who is in student loan debt. These programs are only ineligible to people that have taken out extra loans to help pay for their education. Students should be able to choose what college they want to attend without having to worry about the cost.

  Bishop Noll is billed as a “college prep” school, but times are changing. One-third of college graduates can’t even find jobs. Those that do now wish to attend college after graduating high school shouldn’t be obligated to do so. . Going to college is not the only route to success and everyone should have the right to choose their own journey with the support of their high school.