Visit your High School & Beyond Plan to explore college options! Sign in to your High School & Beyond Plan here.

Use your Skyward/ Qmlativ info to log-in to your plan and click on the BLUE "Explore Careers" button on the righthand-side under the "My Goals" section.  Choose the links under the "College Links" or "Finances Links" sections.

Some say: "College is college- they're all the same." Ms. P says, "No they are not!" Finding the right college for you can be a difficult task. There are many factors to take into consideration, but are you looking at the right ones? Of course location, size, and cost matter, but what about graduation rates? Retention rates (what percent of students, upon completing their first year continue on into their second year)? Employment rates of students like you (what percent of students majoring in what you want to major in are employed within 6 months of graduation)? Don't just pick a college because someone you know went there or is going there. Celebrate your individuality and find a campus that will be right for YOU!

Here are some great websites to help you find the college that is the best fit!
 

Government Websites

• College Navigator – Use this website to search for colleges nationwide that have a certain program or look up your dream school to see how they are doing! You can create a favorites list, compare schools side by side, and even export your results to a savable excel sheet! You can find out the school's population, safety, retention rates, default rate (failure to repay student loans according to plan), net price (how much students pay on average out of pocket, in loans, or through non-institutional scholarships yearly) and much more! 
• College Affordability & Transparency Center – Use this website to determine which colleges have the highest and lowest tuition, as well net price (the total cost of attendance minus average grant/ scholarship aid). These reports also include the percentage of students receiving federal, state, and institutional gift aid. These reports should not be taken as a stand-alone factor nor do they reflect what you, specifically, would pay. Remember that most out-of-state public institutions will charge a higher tuition to out-of-state residents (you!).
• College Scorecard – Use this website to search and compare colleges based on your interests. Search by major/ minor, size, location, intended occupation, campus setting, etc. Once you run your search, you may click on schools that fit your interests to see: typical cost and how it compares to other colleges, graduation rate, loan default rate, median borrowing rate, and employment statistics.
• Net Price Calculator – "In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, as of October 29, 2011 each postsecondary institution that participates in the Title IV federal student aid programs is required to post a net price calculator on its Web site that uses institutional data to provide estimated net price information to current and prospective students and their families based on a student’s individual circumstances" (National Center for Education Statistics). Using this website, you can find direct links to the net price calculator web pages for colleges you are interested in. You will have to answer some questions and input financial information similar to what the FAFSA or WASFA would ask in order to determine your possible aid package. 

NON-GOVERNMENT WEBSITES

• Big Future College Search by the College Board – Search for a college that fits you best based on what is important to you- there are 3,884 colleges to choose from nationwide! Search criteria include: Test scores & selectivity, Type of school. Location, Campus & housing, Majors & learning environment, Sports & activities, Academic credit, Paying, Support services, and Diversity. 
• Unigo College Search – Aside from having a wealth of scholarship opportunities, Unigo is also a great place to get student feedback regarding campuses you might be interested in. Who better to find out about a college from than current students!? You can search by a specific college or run a search based on various factors. Create an account so you can not only apply for scholarships, but also save colleges you are interested in!
• Unigo College Match – Take a questionnaire and allow unigo to help you find colleges that might fit your interests. Questions are more geared towards who you are as a student and how you would react in certain situations.

Pacific Northwest College Websites By Distance & Type

• Community/Career Technical Colleges
  • Columbia Basin College, Pasco, WA
  • PerryTechnical Institute, Yakima, WA
  • Yakima Valley College, Yakima, WA
  • Walla Walla Community College, Walla Walla, WA
  • Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, WA
  • Wenatchee Valley College, Wenatchee, WA
  • Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, WA 
  • Spokane Community College, Spokane, WA
• Public 4-Year Universities
  • Washington State University- Tri Cities, Richland, WA
  • Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA
  • Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR
  • Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA
  • Washington State University, Pullman, WA
  • University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA 
  • The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
  • Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
• Private 4-Year Universities
  • Walla Walla University, Walla Walla, WA
  • Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA
  • Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA
  • Whitworth University, Spokane, WA
  • Seattle University, Seattle, WA
  • Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
  • Art Institute of Seattle, Seattle, WA
  • DigiPen University, Redmond, WA
  • Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA

ACT

The ACT is one of the two tests students are required to take if planning to apply to a 4-year university. The ACT (or SAT) are NOT required for admission to a community college or career technical college. It is recommended that students take it for the first time in the spring of junior year. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch qualify for two fee waivers. See your counselor for a fee waiver prior to registering. To register, see when the test is offered, and/or take a practice test, visit the ACT website.

SAT

The SAT is one of the two tests students are required to take if planning to apply to a 4-year university. The SAT (or ACT) are NOT required for admission to a community college or career technical college. It is recommended that students take it for the first time in the spring of junior year. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch qualify for two fee waivers. See your counselor for a fee waiver prior to registering. To register, see when the test is offered, and/or take a practice test, visit the SAT website.

PSAT

The PSAT is the practice test to the SAT. Students should take this practice test as a junior (sophomores will be allowed on a space available basis). Students who score high enough on the PSAT can qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. For more information, visit the National Merit website. The PSAT is offered yearly on a Wednesday in OCTOBER at Ki-Be High School. The test is $16 for all sophomores regardless of free/reduced lunch status and juniors who don't qualify for free/reduced lunch. Fee waivers are available for juniors who qualify for free/reduced lunch.  For more information about the PSAT, visit the PSAT website. See your counselor to sign up and take this test!

FAFSA INFO:

The FAFSA (FREE Application for Federal Student Aid), should be filled out AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after OCTOBER 1ST, by ALL SENIORS regardless of family income. Federal and state funding is limited, and those who file EARLY are granted the most financial aid. By filling out the FAFSA, students can become eligible for many different financial aid programs. 

Federal student aid covers school expenses such as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. This aid can also help you pay for a computer and dependent childcare expenses.

There are three categories of federal student aid: grants (FREE MONEY), work-study (JOB) and loans (MONEY YOU REPAY). There are two types of loans: subsidized and unsubsidized.

• Subsidized loan: You are NOT responsible for interest while attending at least half-time.
• Unsubsidized loan: You are responsible for paying interest on the loan that starts accruing once disbursed.

Many colleges and trade schools require that you fill out a FAFSA form before applying for any of their own scholarships. Many factors go into determining a student's aid including size of family, income level, number of dependents in college at the same time, etc. Go to the official FAFSA website for more information. You can also see your high school counselor for help with filling out the FAFSA.

REMEMBER: You must also apply for TWO FSAIDs at the FSAID official website (one for the student and one for one parent whose information is on the FAFSA; if the parent is undocumented, you will not use an FSAID).

For the latest information from the Federal Government regarding types of financial aid, how to apply for financial aid, and additional aid resources visit the Federal Student Aid website.

To learn more about the financial aid process, see the FAFSA process visual.

WASFA INFO:

The WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid) allows students who aren’t eligible for federal financial aid because of immigration status apply for financial aid programs through Washington state, such as the Washington State Need Grant, in-state tuition, and State Work Study. In order to apply for state aid through the WASFA, one must:

• have attended a Washington state high school for at least 3 years, and
• graduate from a Washington state high school.

Para más información sobre la FAFSA en español, visite WASFA en español.

To complete the WASFA or get more information about the WASFA, visit the WASFA website.

SCHOLARSHIP INFO:

• College Bound Scholarship: The College Bound Scholarship program is an early commitment of state financial aid to eligible students who sign up in middle school and fulfill the pledge. For more information, visit the College Bound website.
• Scholarships: Scholarships are free money and can be applied for at any grade. It is better to start sooner rather than later. A monthly scholarship list is posted on the backside of the stage in the commons. Follow the Kiona-Benton City High School Counseling Facebook page to get a new scholarship every Saturday. For more scholarships, visit:
  • theWashBoard.org site
  • Fastweb
  • Scholarships.com site
  • Unigo

If you are considering playing a sport in college, you will need to register with NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) or the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics). These associations "verify" your eligibility to play college sports. Almost all Division I, II and III colleges are members of NCAA; many smaller or private colleges are members of NAIA. Depending on which college you plan to attend, you will need to create an account with either NCAA or NAIA, and enter your personal and academic information.

Not sure about which organization your chosen college belongs to? Go to the college's athletic page and it will be listed there, or go to the NCAA or NAIA websites and search for their lists of participating colleges.

For the latest information from NCAA, visit the NCAA website.

To create your NAIA account, go to the NAIA website.