• UC Application Link 
• UC Personal Insight Questions Link

• CSU Application Link
• CSU Academic Preparation Brochure
• CSU Student Success Academic Prep and Early Start
• CSU Paying for College
• CSU High School Student Success

• Common App Link
• What is Common App?
• Common App-Application Dictionary
• Common App Details Info Sheet
• Common App-How to approach the Essay
• Family Resources from Common App

• Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Link

• California Community College Link

DOWNLOAD FREE HELPFUL COLLEGE MATERIALS HERE

DOWNLOAD FREE COLLEGE PLANNING GUIDE HERE

Local Community Colleges:

• MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE
• SAN JOAQUIN DELTA COLLEGE
• LAS POSITAS COLLEGE

• Link to all California Community Colleges

MODESTO JUNIOR COLLEGE INFO AND PROGRAMS:

• Modesto Junior College Summer/Fall 2025 Application Info click here
• MJC  Dental Assisting Program click here
• MJC Registered Dental Assisting Exam Prep Program click here
• MJC Certified Phlebotomy Tech 1 Program click here
• MJC Pharmacy Technician click here
• MJC Hospitality Industry & Culinary Boot Camp click here
• MJC School of Industry & Trades click here

PRIVATE CAREER Technical COLLEGES:

• San Joaquin Valley College (Modesto)-Business & Criminal, Trades & Industrial, Medical & Dental, and more!

• Universal Technical Institute (UTI)-Automotive, Diesel, Marine, Motorcycle, CNC Machining, Collision Repair, Welding

San Joaquin County Office of Education:

• CODESTACK ACADEMY FOR STUDENTS AGE 18-SPONSORED BY SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION

• Las Positas College-Concurrent Enrollment
• Modesto Junior College-Dual Enrollment Information
• San Joaquin Delta College-Early Start and Dual Enrollment Information

To qualify for the SAT fee waiver, students must be in 11th or 12th grade and qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Other qualifications include students who live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or is homeless, or is a ward of the state.

To determine your fee waiver status, see the Career Center Technician during lunch or after school.

• College Board Website
• College Board BigFuture (College and Scholarship Search)
• 2024-2025 SAT Test Dates 
• SAT Student Fee Waiver Brochure 2024-2025
• SAT Student Self Identification Process Info-Steps for Fee Waiver
• SAT Student Fee Waiver Info

FREE SAT PRACTICE CLICK HERE

PSAT/NMSQT is offered to juniors (Grade 11) in October each year. Taking this test may qualify you for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Dates and fees are announced in early fall.

AP (Advanced Placement) information can be found on the College Board website here

Contact Rachel Ramirez, AP Secretary at ext. 3133 for more AP information.

SAT tests may be optional for college admissions purposes. Check the admissions page of the college website you plan to apply for to get updated information. 

To qualify for the ACT fee waiver, students must be in 11th or 12th grade and qualify for the National School Lunch Program. Other qualifications include students who live in federally subsidized public housing or a foster home, or is homeless, or is a ward of the state.

To determine your fee waiver status, see the Career Center Technician during lunch or after school.

• ACT Website
• ACT 2024-2025 ACT Test Dates
• ACT Fee Waiver Information

ACT tests may be optional for college admissions purposes. Check the admissions page of the college website you plan to apply for to get updated information. 

CaliforniaColleges.edu Link

TUSD promotes the free CaliforniaColleges.edu program to assist students on their path after high school. Students using this program can build knowledge, skills, and a plan to achieve their dreams. Parents and educators, guide and support them every step of the way. You can use this program to apply for colleges and financial aid. Use the link above to access the student's account. Counselors provide students with their log on information. Students can continue to access their account after graduation following the instructions below. Questions about this program should be directed to the student's guidance counselor.

Click on the links below to learn more about current scholarships available. Scholarship opportunities listed below are in order by application deadline. Be sure to read all instructions for each scholarship and make sure you qualify before you submit. If you need a letter of recommendation, it is advised you ask the person writing the letter at least 2-3 weeks in advance. A Letter of Recommendation Form template can be found at the bottom of this webpage. Most applications are submitted online. Others may require to be mailed, so be sure you allow for mailing deadlines when applying. Scholarships are updated as received. This is a fraction of scholarships available to students. It is highly recommended you visit the Helpful Scholarship Information section posted below for additional scholarship opportunities.

scholarship opportunities:

• Going Merry Scholarship List - September 30 - October 30, 2024

• October 31, 2024 Deadline: VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Voice of Democracy Competition - $35,000
• November 3, 2024 Deadline: 26th Annual Hispanic Heritage Foundations Youth Awards - $4,000 educational grants
• November 8, 2024 Deadline: Good Tidings Community Service Scholarship - $10,000
• November 12, 2024 Deadline: Elks National Foundation-Most Valuable Student scholarships - 500 Four-Year Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $30,000-Choose Tracy Elks Lodge 2031
• November 14, 2024 Deadline: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship-needs based scholarship for high school seniors-60 available
• December 1, 2024 Deadline: Hagan Scholarship-nationwide need based merit scholarship-must attend participating college-see list on link-up to $7,500 for 8 consecutive semesters
• December 16, 2024 Deadline: Burger King Scholarship-High School Seniors-$1,000-several available-App opens October 15th-must apply early
• December 31, 2024 Deadline: Cirkled In "No Sweat" Scholarship $2500
• February 28, 2025 Deadline: California Wine Grape Growers Foundation Scholarship-for high school seniors whose parent(s)/legal guardians are employees of a California Wine Grape Grower-6 available-$8,000 for 4 year college and $2,000 for 2 year college
• March 3, 2025 Deadline: Honors Graduation's Build a Better Future Scholarships - (5) $10,000 awards available

Helpful Scholarship Information:

• Class of 2025 Scholarship & Financial Aid Information Handout
• Helpful Scholarship websites and information
• Going Merry - Create an Account Flyer
• Going Merry - Six Great Options for Finding Scholarships
• fastweb Scholarships and Grants
• fastweb helpful guides for scholarships, financial aid and more
• College Board BigFuture Scholarships
• College Board BigFuture Scholarships Handout-Timeline
• College Board BigFuture Scholarships PowerPoint
• Link to TUSD District Scholarship Website Page

PLEASE NOTE: Local Scholarships become available in Spring Semester of Senior Year and will be posted here as received. For National scholarships, please create a profile at one of the sites listed above. National scholarship opportunities are posted here as received and through the national websites listed above.

• Sign up for the Career Center News and Scholarships Remind App for all updated scholarship opportunities-see Class information tabs for instructions

FAFSA and California Dream Act (CADAA) application opens for the 2025-2026 application on December 1, 2024. 

An FSA ID is required for students and parents/guardians to electronically sign your applications. There is not a separate application to apply for Cal Grant. West High sends Cal Grant GPA verifications electronically to the State of California. The State of California pulls the information from FAFSA/CADAA to determine Cal Grant Status. Have your 2023 income tax information available to file and choose the year 2025-2026 FAFSA/CADAA. Priority deadline to file is March 2, 2025, after the December 1, 2024 application release. However, if you are attending a California Community College you may still apply until September 3, 2025. You are encouraged to apply as soon as possible once the application opens to determine your financial aid status. It is recommended you apply for FAFSA/CADAA even if you feel you won't qualify. Colleges and universities use this information to determine eligibility for financial aid and scholarships available at their campuses. When you receive confirmation your FAFSA/CADAA was accepted, be sure to read and follow all the directions provided. Ask your counselor if you have questions. 

The following links provide additional information to assist with your financial aid applications:

• Class of 2025 Scholarship & Financial Aid Information Handout
• Start your FAFSA application here
• Cal Grant Program Income Ceilings 2025-2026 here 
• Middle Class Scholarship Income Ceilings 2025-2026 here
• CA Dream Act Application Here 
• California Student Aid Commission (Cal Grant) Information Here
• Create your Cal Grant account through Web Grants 4 Students Here
• Creating the FSA ID 
• Is My Parent a Contributor Handout for FAFSA
• California Student Whose Contributor does NOT have a SSN Handout

COLLEGE BOARD-PLANNING CHECKLIST FOR STUDENT ATHLETES

STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT THEIR COUNSELOR FOR MORE INFORMATION AND FEE WAIVER OPPORTUNITIES:

If you want to play NCAA sports at a Division I or II school, or an NAIA school, you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center or the NAIA Eligibility Center.  
The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) works with you and your high school to help you prepare for life as a student-athlete.  To register, go to the NCAA Eligibility Center website.  This is where you will find the tools and information you need to begin your college experience as a student-athlete. Allow at least 15 minutes to one hour to register completely. If you need to exit and come back at a later time, you can save and exit once your account has been created.

Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center by following these steps: 
1. Visit www.eligibilitycenter.org and enter as a college-bound student-athlete. 
2. Create an account by clicking on the “New Account” button at the top right corner of the screen.
3. On the Account Creation page, provide a valid email address to create an account and begin the registration process. Be sure you provide an email address that will be active even after you complete high school.
4. On the About Me page, enter some quick facts, including your name, address, date of birth and gender.

REGISTRATION FEE AND WAIVER  Your account will be eligible for processing once the registration fee is paid or waived. You must pay online by debit, credit card or e-check. The registration fee is $90 for students.
 
The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is the governing  body of small athletic programs throughout the United States.  Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center by following these steps:
 
1. Visit www.playnaia.org to check out schools and to register.
2. Create a Student-Athlete Profile.
3. On the Student-Athlete Profile page, provide a valid email address to create an account and begin the registration process.  Be sure you provide an email address that will be active even after you complete high school.
4. Be sure to read all instructions regarding how to submit transcripts and required documents.

REGISTRATION FEE AND WAIVER  Your account will be eligible for processing once the registration fee is paid or waived.  You must pay online by debit or credit card.  The registration fee is $80 for students

What career interests me? What career would I be good at? See thee many free resources for Career Exploration below:

• College Board Big Future Explore Careers
• California Colleges
• California Career Zone
• Career One Stop

Need help with creating a resume? Resources including sample resumes and cover letters below:

• Resume Builder
• Canva.com
• Indeed.com
• California Career Center

Work Permit Requirements per the TUSD High School Handbook: Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and have less than 15 hours of Saturday school to be work permit eligible during the school year.

Download: Work Permit Info and Instructions for School Year 2024-2025

Download: Work Permit Application

Download: Department of Industrial Relations-Summary of Hours Students can work by age and Occupational Exemptions and Restrictions

Download: Know Your Rights Handout

Email: Gayle Jackson: gjackson@tusd.net 

NOTE: To apply for a work permit, you must already be hired or offered a job. Work permits are NOT required to apply for jobs. See the links above to read the Work Permit Info and Instructions and to print the Work Permit Application. Complete the student, parent, and employer sections, including the FULL Social Security number (required by state law), all signatures (no electronic signatures), and initials. Drop off the completed form at lunch or after school to the Career Center for processing. Work permit applications (Form B1-1) are no longer accepted through email. Official work permit (Form B1-4) is sent to the student's TUSD email upon issuance.

Visit the California Department of Education website below for more information on work permits: 

CDE WEBSITE HERE

To enroll in a work experience class, email your counselor for instructions and eligibility. If you are approved for work experience, notify Mrs. Jackson by email so your work permit can be re-issued to reflect work experience information and hours.

NOTE 1: Work permits expire 5 days after a new school year begins each year per state law OR when you turn age 18 OR receive a high school diploma, even if  you are still age 17 at the time of graduation.

NOTE 2: Summer work permit application information will be available the last week of school. GPA and Saturday School hours are not checked for summer work permits only. However, when students return to school in August, GPA and Saturday School Hours requirements are once again checked and must meet the requirements above for issuance.