Advice from your peers…

• Look at all aspects of a program: the campus, the class size, the programs offered, the weather, the location, transportation options, support services, tutoring, and child care.
• Check to make sure the program is accredited so you can use the foster care tuition exemption.
• When you age out of foster care, identify living arrangements that will support your goals. You may not want to commit to a year‐long apartment lease when you are 18 if you plan to go away to college in another city. Consider living in a rooming house where you can get a month‐to‐month lease until your plans are confirmed.
• Some community colleges and most public universities have residence halls. Find out if they have year‐round living arrangements and if you can stay in the dorm during vacation breaks and semester breaks.
• Make sure you find a school that you want to go to and not where everyone else wants you to go. Make sure you are doing it because you want to do it.
• Don’t attend a school just because your friends are going there. Pick a school that’s the best for you. Don’t just go there to party.
• Whenever possible, go to the school and take a campus tour. Ask questions that will help you make a good decision for you.
• If you can’t take a live tour, check the college websites to find out if a virtual tour is available. The virtual tour of USF is provided as an example.
• Talk to other students who have attended the institution and find out from them what it was like to attend.
• If there are several campuses at the institution, find out which campus offers the courses/programs you are interested in pursuing. If you have to attend multiple campuses/locations, find out in advance where they are and if transportation is available. Click here to see the campuses of HCC and USF and Hillsborough HI‐TECH schools.
• Find a school that offers a program that you are passionate about.
• If you aren’t ready for college, consider a phased plan in which you attend a technical school first and then move on to a community college or university.
• Visit Facts.org to learn more about all of the public colleges, universities, and technical centers in Florida.