When we speak with students who have successfully completed high school and achieved their first early-adulthood goals—be it college admission, career training, or starting a job—they usually have one common denominator during their middle and high school years: adults who shared their guidance, their encouragement, and their advice.
So, as we turn the page to 2024, we offer this list of “resolutions” for parents of middle- and high-school students. Keep in mind: It’s impossible to be a perfect parent and to do everything on this list. But the good news is, most parents and families are already offering support in a myriad of ways. And for many, there may be a few very simple things—or even just one—that parents can do now that make a big difference for their students in the long run. One of the things to remember is, you know your child. You can offer support to them in the ways that matter most to their current and future goals.
Get involved
#1: Attend school events, especially parent-teacher conferences. Meet your student’s teachers and school counselor. Students like to see that you can show up.
#2: Get to know the resources offered by the school counseling office, as well as VSAC’s Parent Resource Hub. The Discover Parent Guide has information and resources that can be helpful as you support your student’s plans. It’s a helpful tool to use throughout middle and high school.
Support good study habits
#3: Make sure your student has a quiet and calm place to study and that homework gets done.
#4: Talk to your student about strong learning habits, such as sitting in the front of the classroom, participating in discussion, asking questions, and submitting assignments (with careful review) before they’re due.
#5: Observe your student at home as they complete an assignment or prepare for a test, or ask them to show you their methods. You may be able to make suggestions that can improve their study skills. Follow up with them on tests taken—how did they feel about the test? What was the outcome? How can they do better next time?
Help students identify their interests and make career connections
#6: Have conversations about your student’s personality, likes and dislikes, non-academic interests, and what brings them joy. This can help get them thinking about possible career fits down the road. Let your student lead the conversation.
Introduce them to the possibility of early college or dual enrollment. Getting a jump start on getting credits or experiencing college courses can be a great opportunity to explore! School counselors know how to make the connection.
#7: Introduce your student to people who have careers or jobs that they’re interested in, and help your student talk to them about setting up a job shadow. Consider attending VSAC’s College and Career Pathways event for students and families on March 23 at the University of Vermont!
#8: Take a supportive role in helping your student choose classes, extracurriculars, and even summer activities, such as camps, jobs or volunteer work, that align with their interests.
Prepare for next steps after high school
#9: Visit a college or tech-center campus, even if it’s just a walk-through on your own, or for a sports event or a performance. Middle school students often do better in school when they realize that college or other training can be a goal.
#10: Attend a college or career fair with your student, either in-person or virtually. Check out the NACAC college fair website, and attend the resource fair at VSAC’s spring College and Career Pathways event, a free conference for sophomores, juniors, and parents.
#11: Prepare for standardized tests. Although many schools are test-optional, achieving on standardized tests can help earn merit or institutional aid from higher education institutions. For high school students, ask the school counseling office how your student should register for the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, or Accuplacer. (For these tests, registration typically takes place in the spring.) For middle school students, inquire about practice standardized tests, such as the PSAT or PreACT, which typically accept registrations in the fall. While including these test scores with school applications is now mostly optional, students may want to take them to see how they score, and whether their scores will enhance their applications.
#12: Talk with your student about the application and selection process for college or technical programs, and help them obtain those application materials. Learn more about what’s involved.
#13: If you have a student in a tech center program, remind your student to talk to their school counselor about the credential they can receive from their program and how to get it.
#14: Research workforce development opportunities. VSAC, in partnership with other Vermont agencies, offers grants and interest-free forgivable loans to help eligible students afford the degree or training they need to pursue the career they want. Options include forgivable loan programs in some of Vermont’s most in-demand career fields, such as nursing, education and mental health care. Students should also check out the 802Opportunity grant program, which allows any student with a family income of $75,000 or less to attend the Community College of Vermont tuition-free for two years. Find more details for workforce development funding on the VSAC website.
Talk about money
#15: Have the college cost conversation with your child early. Use net price calculators such as College Scorecard to estimate what college might actually cost.
#16: Learn about financial aid. Consider attending a “Financial Aid and Managing College Costs” presentation at your school in the spring and view past videos online. See the VSAC calendar for upcoming events.
#17: Consider opening a 529 savings account to save for future college and training expenses. Even if your student is in middle school or high school, saving now can help you prepare for their education opportunities. You can start with just $25 with Vermont’s official 529 plan, and it’s easy for family and friends to contribute along the way. Plus, only the VT529 plan gives you a Vermont tax credit on your annual contributions to your 529 savings. Then when the student is ready to use the money, 529 funds can be used for a wide variety of education-related expenses, including student housing, books and supplies, and student loan payments. Learn about Vermont’s VT529 plan at vsac.org/save.
Prepare to file the FAFSA
The U.S. Department of Education has promised that the 2024/2025 FAFSA—the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—will be available before December 31. The FAFSA is a requirement for almost all college financial aid programs, from loans to scholarships. While we’re all awaiting the form’s release, Resolutions 18 through 20 can help you prepare.
#18: Create an FSA ID. A Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID is required to fill out the FAFSA. The student and at least one, or sometimes, both parents (or in FAFSA-speak, “contributors”) will each need their own individual FSA ID or Federal Student Aid Account. While in the past, applicants for an FSA ID could use their username and password immediately to file a FAFSA, this year, the government is taking some additional verification steps in issuing FSA IDs. People contributing information on a FAFSA must now wait 3-5 business days after creating an FSA ID for the government to confirm their ID can be used. VSAC counselors suggest that it is more important than ever that families do that part of the process now (it’s a short online process that takes about 10 minutes). And once you’re done, keep all usernames and passwords handy for when they fill out the FAFSA.
#19: Gather all the information you’ll need. Pull tax return files, print out investment statements, and have online passwords close by, so you’ll have your finances at your fingertips when you sit down to do the FAFSA. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may need to have your 2022 income tax returns, records of investments and assets, child support information, and bank statements.
#20: Research grants and scholarships. Two of the best resources for Vermont students are the Vermont Grant and the 150-plus VSAC-managed scholarships, available to Vermont residents and students attending school in Vermont. You can (and should) peruse those applications now! Keep in mind that when you apply for any of these programs, you’ll also need to submit the FAFSA. If you’re interested in other federal grant programs, including Pell grants, FSEOG grants, TEACH grants, and Iraq & Afghanistan service grants from the U.S. Department of Education, you automatically apply to these programs by filing your FAFSA. Learn more at vsac.org/grants.
Whatever “to-dos” you put on your own list, the thing that means the most to your student is your involvement. It shows your student that you’re interested in their success and that you believe in them.
Here’s to a successful 2024!
This story is produced by Vermont Student Assistance Corp., created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency, to advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they achieve their education goals. Our vision is to create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to higher education are closed to them. We begin by helping families save for education with Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or career training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and again as adults. Our grant and scholarship programs attract national recognition, and our loan programs and loan forgiveness programs are saving Vermont families thousands of dollars in interest. Visit vsac.org to learn more.
