College 101: FAQs Answered!

The most common options for after high school include:

• 4-year University to earn a Bachelor's Degree (e.g. ASU)
• 2-year College for one or two years, and then transfer to a University to finish a Bachelor's Degree (e.g. SCC --> ASU)
• 2-year College to earn an Associate's Degree 
• 2-year College to earn a certificate or license, often takes less time than two years
• Trade or Technical School to earn a certificate or license
• Obtain an apprenticeship and learn a trade through intense on-the-job training
• Go directly into the workforce

A College Degree is the higher education equivalent of a High School Diploma. 

An Associate's Degree is the degree you receive after graduating from a 2-year community college. 

A Bachelor's Degree is the degree you receive after graduating from a 4-year college or university. 

Once you have selected the school(s) you want to apply to, you will need to figure out what their application process is like. 

Arizona's public universities (ASU, NAU, and U of A) each have their own applications on their websites. The Maricopa Community Colleges have one application for all their schools on their main website. 

Some schools use the CommonApp, which is one application that you can send to many schools that they work with. 

All applications will ask for your basic information, your high school courses, and what major you want to study. Some schools require ACT or SAT scores and/or essays as well. 

Application fees often fall around $50, but they can range from $0 to even $100, depending on the school. 

It is always free to apply to any Maricopa Community College. 

The College & Career Center at Coronado has fee waivers for ASU, NAU, and U of A for eligible students. 

Your Major is the main program you choose to study. Each Major has a list classes you are required to take in order to complete the program. You might decide to add a Minor as well, which has fewer required classes. Some schools allow you to have two Majors, or a Double Major, and focus on two topics during your time in college. 

If you are unsure of what field you would like to study, meet with a GEAR UP Coach, your counselor, or the College & Career Specialist to discuss your options. You can take an interest inventory quiz to help narrow down what fields might be a good fit. 

When you apply, there will be a space to select a major. You can choose "undecided," but you will likely need to choose a major within your first year or two of college. Some majors have GPA requirements, course pre-requisites, and/or ACT/SAT minimums. 

You can absolutely change your major. However, you will always be required to fulfill all the necessary courses for your new major. If you switch majors late in your college career, you might not be able to finish the program in the same amount of time. Certain majors (like Nursing and Engineering, for example) are particularly difficult to switch into because they have so many required courses. 

College can be expensive! Tuition depends on what school you choose, so make sure you visit the tuition webpage on your school's website to find out exact costs. 

There is federal financial aid available to eligible students who complete the FAFSA.  

There are scholarship opportunities through colleges and private organizations. They generally require applications. 

Students can take out student loans to cover college costs, but this  money must be paid back after graduation. 

Payment plans are available through most colleges so that you can pay slowly throughout the year rather than paying all expenses in one lump sum.

Visit your GEAR UP Coaches and see the Financial Aid and Scholarship sections of this site for more information.

Congratulations! 

If you have been accepted to multiple schools, you need to decide which school you will attend generally before the national deadline of May 1. 

You will likely be prompted on your student portal to pay the enrollment deposit. This locks in your decision, so only pay the enrollment deposit for the school you want to attend. 

After paying your enrollment deposit, you will likely need to sign up for and attend an orientation, where you will choose your first semester courses. This process is different for each school, so pay attention to communication from your school.