You can get financial aid from your state, federal government, the school you attend after high school, and the private sector.

Terms:

• What’s the difference between loans, grants and scholarships? (California Student Aid Commission)

Websites:

• Department of Education Homepage. FAFSA, Direct Loans, Student Financial Assistance.
• Financial Aid Information Page. Federal government loans and scholarships, links to sites of colleges/universities.
• Financial Aid and Career Planning
• CASHE College Aid Sources for Higher Education

KidsData
http://www.kidsdata.org/moresources/

Functioning Schools:
Bowman High School in Santa Clarita, CA. What they do:

College 

• Association of Independent California Colleges & Universities (AICCU). California College and Career Planner
• Is College for Me? (Radio)
• Course Planning 

Jobs

• Open Education Database: Career guide profiles the best locations for a job/degree, the average salary, and general career information for a variety of different fields. 
• The Demise of the Unpaid Internship?
• Job Matches
• Video: Youth Jobs Hit Hard by Recession 
• O*NET
• Skills Profiler: Create a list of your skills and match them to job types that need those skill

All Star Jobs

• American Humanics
• Campus Career Center
• CareerOneStop
• Career Magazine
• CareerExplorer
• CareerOverview
• College Central Network
• CollegeGrad.com
• Construct My Future (information about construction careers)
• Cool Works
• EducationPlanner
• Explore Health Careers
• Futures in Nursing
• hotjobs.com
• International Jobs
• Job Search Intelligence
• JobProfiles.com
• JobSniper
• Jobsource.info
• MyArtsCareer
• Occupational Outlook Handbook
• Personality Questionnaires Online
• Quintessential Careers
• SalaryList
• Simply Hired
• Snag a Job
• Spurkle for Jobs
• Think Big (information on technical careers)
• Translation Industry Career Guide
• True Careers
• Try Tools (information about careers in construction)
• You Apply Here (hourly and part-time employment)

Check out these sources of job information:

• State or college employment offices
• Newspaper listings
• Online sources
• Your family, friends, and other contacts

California Students and families sue the state over cuts to education

Survey Shows What California Schools are doing about budgets cuts

1 in 4 California Students Lives in Poverty

Skipping School--Crime or Personal Choice?

What Health Care Could Mean for Students

Singled Out At School

Private school students switch to public school 

Personal Bullying Stories

• Bullied Celebrities
  • SITE - You're not alone, even celebrities like Jessica Alba, Christian Bale, Tom Cruise and Megan Fox were bullied. Read excerpts of their bullying stories.
• Bullying Stories
  • SITE/BLOG - Good outlet to share your story. Site was started by a victim looking to express the bullying he experienced as a youth from his current adult perspective. Many personal stories along with other bullying resources and comments from the public.
• Stop Bullying, Speak Up
  • VIDEO/SITE - Cartoon Network speaks up against bullying by providing video testimonials of victims of all ages sharing their stories of bullying, how its changed them and ways to help. Helpful question and answer section.
• If You Really Knew Me
  • VIDEO/SITE - Great for kids to watch. This is an MTV series dedicated towards the personal stories of bullied students. Many episodes with loads of information.
• Letters to a Bullied Girl
  • VIDEO - Inspiring story that introduces a book of letters, inspired by two sisters who wrote to a girl when they heard about how she was bullied.

How to Deal With Bullying

• Heal Bullying
• SITE/FREE RESOURCE - 6 free MP3s to help youth *increase confidence, *improve peer relationships, *behave responsibly with social media, *respond to bullying appropriately.

• Stop Bullying
  • SITE - provides very useful information for students and adults that defines bullying, how to prevent bullying and how to respond to bullying.
• Stomp Out Bullying   
  • SITE - full of excellent videos, articles, etc. to help kids cope with bullying and counter it. Site designed for youth to add videos and share stories that are positive and helpful to those who are being bullied, cyber bullied and feeling that they have no place to turn
• Bullying Tips for Students - Checklist
  • This checklist provides suggestions for what kids can do when bullying occurs – written for students being bullied, students who witness bullying and the bullies themselves.
• The Anti-Bully Blog
  • BLOG - is operated by Get Out The Box, a nonprofit, dedicated to mentoring, motivating, and inspiring youth across the world to break out of their comfort zones to live a life beyond mediocrity, and a life outside the box. The blog offers tons of articles, videos etc. on bullying and a messenger interface to talk to someone if you are being bullied. 

Information on Cyber-Bullying

• What Is Cyberbullying
  • SITE - very useful site provides facts on cyberbullying, the effects of cyberbullying, the frequency of cyberbullying, how to prevent and report cyberbullying.
• INFOGRAPHIC: What is Cyberbullying? Stop Online Bullying!
  • SITE - Use this infographic to learn more about what cyberbullying is. Find facts, statistics and definitions to further educate yourself about the threat of online bullying. Both teens and parents can find helpful tips and advice on how to stop cyberbullying.
• STOP Cyberbullying
  • SITE - easy to follow site that teaches what cyber-bullying is, why people do it, the laws surrounding it and ways to prevent it from happening.
• Cyberbullying PSA
  • VIDEO - on cyber bullying with examples. Also includes some good statistics.
• Cyber Bullying Research Center   
  • RESEARCH SITE - Charts depicting data from studies about cyber bullying, taken in southern California.

Get Involved!

• Start Your Own Bully Project
  • SITE - provides list of projects that you can start to take a stand against bullying.
• Stomp Out Bullying: Get Involved
  • SITE - How you can get your school and community involved in to "stomp out bullying."

Books

• Taking the Bully by the Horns
  SITE/BOOK - provides bully statistics and facts. Also includes self- help tips that give young people the skills they need to deal with bullies and maintain healthy self-esteem.

• High School's Not Forever; The Reality of the High School Experience
  SITE/BOOK - paints a vivid and realistic picture of what high school is all about— from a teen perspective. High School’s Not Forever includes real-life stories from real-life high school kids—and a few high school “survivors” as well! Readers will also find tons of practical hints, tips and strategies, along with activities, sidebars, quotes and dozens of resources to serve as a roadmap, not just on how to get through the difficult times, but how to get through them successfully!

Anti-Bullying Advertisements

• Anti-Bully Student Videos
  • You're not alone. View the winning student videos from our "Say NO to Bullying" student contest.
• Drew Brees PSA Video
• Atlanta Braves PSA Video
• Celebrities Against Bullying PSA Video
  • Adam Levine, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres and others speak out against bullying.
• NoH8 Campaign PSA Video
  • Familiar faces remind students that bullying often starts as a joke and to not be a bystander and instead take action! 

Free ACT Resources

• Official ACT Test Prep
  
  • SITE - Five sets of questions are available for English and Mathematics; four sets are available for Reading; and seven are available for Science.  To prepare, for the Writing Test portion of the ACT, there are sample writing prompts and scored responses.  These were made in exactly the same style as the test students take, so its an excellent resource to use in preparation.
• "How Can I Improve My ACT Scores?"
  
  • SITE/BLOG - This blog explores the question that many students ask themselves: "How can I improve my ACT score?"; by breaking down the steps that should be taken after taking your first ACT. This blog gives solid detailed advice.

• What to Do if You Have a Low ACT Score
  
  • VIDEO - A video that gives excellent advice about what to do if you get a low ACT score.  It highlights tips for retaking and ways to study.

• Free SAT Practice Problems
  
  • SITE - Practice questions and practice quizzes are a proven, effective way of learning a large amount of information in a short amount of time.  This website has several links for practicing reading, writing and math problems.
• Kahn Academy Math
  
  • VIDEO - These YouTube videos will help you practice SAT math problems. The instructor does a great job explaining all the math problems on the older versions of the official SAT.

• SAT Practice Exam
  
  • MANUAL - Official SAT practice exam. This exam is printable, complete with bubble form.
• College Board SAT
  
  • SITE - College Board Site-for free practice tests, sample questions, and word of the day.

• Ultimate SAT Verbal
  
  • BLOG - Excellent blog with advice on the critical reading and writing portion of the SAT.
• PWN the SAT
  
  • BLOG - This blog was created by a tutor out of New York who really knows the SAT. He features all subjects covered on the SAT but is especially good at explaining the math portion.  Website has printable PDF's as well.

Financial Aid Help

• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
• Explains Financial Aid. Provides thorough information on each type, when to apply, and where to find funding in each state.
• California Student Aid Commission
  
  • SITE - Official Student Aid website for California. Explains various types of Financial Aid and provides resources to find funding.
• Federal Student Aid Information
  
  • SITE - Explains all Scholarship, Grant, and Loan Applications. Explains and provides FAFSA.

• Simple Tuition Website
  
  • SITE - Simpletuition.com is a helpful website for students and parents that offers tips, advice, interactive tools and deals to ensure students plan better for the cost of college, pay less for college-related expenses, and are smarter about how they manage and pay back their student loans.
• Financial Aid Process
  
  • VIDEO - Overview of the Financial Aid process created by the Federal Student Aid which is a department of the U.S Department of Education.

• Glossary of Financial Aid Terms
  
  • SITE - With all the different types of loans, grants and scholarships available, it can be confusing what everything means.  This handy glossary clearly defines what the loans mean and how to figure out the terms of your loans.
• How to Find Free Money For College
  
  • ARTICLE - Great article and video about finding creative ways to pay for college.  Also explains that students shouldn't be afraid of the "sticker shock" when they hear how much school will cost since often times students won't pay that much because of grants and scholarships. Very useful.

Scholarship / Grant Help

• Grants and Scholarships
  • SITE - Grants and Scholarships are truly free money for students to use to pay for school.  This website covers all the basics of the types of grants and scholarships available and how to apply.
• How to Get Into College
  • ARTICLE - A great article that covers strategies that students would not think of when applying to college. Including essay topics, personal information sharing, and more.
• Scholarship Tracker
  
  • SITE - New Futuro offers a scholarship tracker to allow students to figure out what scholarships might be best suited for them.  The site does require registration or you can sign in using facebook. Website is very user friendly.
• ScholarshipExperts.com
  
  • SITE - Fast and easy website that provides a time-saving, customized list of free scholarships that match students's hobbies, interests and academic background.
• How to Apply for Scholarships
  • VIDEO - YouTube video with quick, to-the-point tips and ways to apply for scholarships.

College Prep Checklist

• Federal Student Aid Checklist for High-schoolers
  
  • SITE - This website contains checklists for every level of education. The checklists are meant to be a guideline for parents and students to make getting into college as easy as possible.
• College Prep Timeline
  
  • SITE - This easy to follow timeline shows students where they should be in their academic progress starting in 7th grade until 12th grade.  It even breaks it down month-to-month during the critical 12th grade section.

Trade Schools

• Most Popular Trade Professions
  • SITE - Highlights the most popular trade professions.
• College Vs. Trade School Video
  • VIDEO - College Vs. Trade School video on YouTube which compares the advantages of both attending a trade school and a college.
• Complete Trade School Guide
  
  • SITE - Complete list of trade schools by state and city.  Also discusses popular program choices.

Free GMAT Resources

• Free GMAT Sample Questions
  • SITE - Explains the GMAT and provides links with sample questions for GMAT.
• GMAT YouTube Channel
  • VIDEO - This GMAT Prep Now program, features hundreds of videos.  The video module format is an easy to follow experience complete with learning guide.  The Guide contains hundreds of activities arranged in the order that best promotes understanding and retention.
• University of San Diego GMAT Sample Classes
  
  • SITE - Schedule of free sample Test Preparation classes at University of San Diego.

Free LSAT Resources

• Free Resources to Study & Prepare for LSAT
  • SITE - This website allows users to take a free mini-LSAT test, look at lessons and even participate in tutoring.
• Free Sample LSAT Questions
  • SITE - Explains the LSAT and provides sample questions.
• LSAT YouTube Channel
  
  • VIDEO - This youtube channel offers many logic questions, tips for preparing for the LSAT and other useful tidbits about successfully passing the LSAT.
• LSAT Practice
  
  • SITE - Free LSAT practice questions. Offers study guides, memory tricks and practice questions.