FOR STUDENTS
Your road. Your tools.
Whether you're in 2nd grade or 12th, this is your side of the site: what college and the other roads actually are, what to do at your age, and tools that help with tonight's homework and next year's plan. No account. Nothing saved.
ACADEMIC TOOLS
Tap it. Work it out.
ELEMENTARYSay What's Going OnSay it out loud; find out who helps and what to say.
ELEMENTARYMy Helper MapWho helps with what at your school. Print it.
ELEMENTARYMy First Résumé CardWhat I can do, how I help, what I made.
ALL AGESTell a Trusted AdultMake a note and hand it to a grown-up you trust.
GRADES 4–5Homework Helper · Grades 4–5Same engine, next benchmarks.
MIDDLEThe Placement MapWhat your math class opens or closes in 9th grade.
MIDDLEPrerequisite TreeFrom your goal back to right now.
MIDDLERehearse the ConversationPractice talking to a teacher or counselor.
HIGHScholarship Screener + TrackerLegit? Eligible? Due when? Submitted?
HIGHApplication TrackerCollege, trade school, military, or a job.
HIGHAid Letter & Refund SimulatorWhat's free, what's borrowed, what's left.
Homework, and no adult around?
HOMEWORKHomework Helper · Grade 3One step at a time, checked. Talks and listens. Math and reading.PREVIEWNew Homework Helper experienceExplore the grade picker and reading settings. Photo and guided homework help are still being built.
Free help beyond EFF: Khan Academy · Schoolhouse.world free live tutoring · your public library's free tutoring with a library card · TRIO Talent Search / Upward Bound (grades 6–12, ask your counselor).
WHAT IS COLLEGE, ANYWAY?
The words, in plain English.
Nobody is born knowing these. Now you do.
CollegeSchool after high school. Some are 2 years, some are 4, some teach one job.
Community collegeA 2-year college, usually close to home and the lowest cost. You can transfer to a 4-year after.
UniversityA big 4-year college, often with graduate school too.
Trade / technical schoolLearn one job — electrician, nursing assistant, welding, cosmetology — usually in under 2 years.
ApprenticeshipYou get paid while you learn a trade. No tuition.
DegreeWhat you earn when you finish: associate (2 yr), bachelor's (4 yr), master's, doctorate.
MajorThe main subject you study. You can change it.
CreditPoints for finishing a class. A degree is a set number of credits.
PrerequisiteA class you must take before another one. In middle school, math placement is the first big one.
TranscriptThe official list of your classes and grades. Colleges ask for it.
GPAYour average grade as a number. It matters — and it's not a verdict on you.
ApplicationThe form (plus essays, transcript, sometimes test scores) you send to get in.
DeadlineThe last day something is accepted. Missing it usually means no.
FAFSAThe free form that unlocks money for college. Never pay to fill it out.
ScholarshipMoney for school you never pay back. Real ones never charge to apply.
GrantAlso money you never pay back, usually based on need.
LoanMoney you DO pay back, with interest. Borrow last, borrow least.
Net priceWhat college really costs after grants and scholarships. Not the sticker price.
HoldA block on your account (a fee, a missing form). It can stop you from registering. Ask the office, fast.
Financial aid officeThe people whose job is to help you pay. Ask them questions. That's what they're for.
YOUR AGE, YOUR MOVES
What to do right now.
Elementary (K–5)
You are not too young. This is the best time.
Your moves this year
- Know who helps with what at your school, and ask one of them a question you wrote down first.
- Keep a résumé card: what you can do, how you help, what you made. Add to it every month.
- Read every day, even ten minutes. Tell someone one thing you noticed.
- When you're stuck, say "I'm stuck on this part because…" instead of going quiet.
- Ask a grown-up what they wanted to be when they were your age.
Middle (6–8)
The decisions that shape high school get made now. Most kids never hear about them.
Your moves this year
- Ask about math placement. "What decides which math class I'm in next year, and what does it open or close?" Ask your counselor. In 8th grade this is the biggest question you can ask.
- Learn 10 college words (above). Use one in a sentence to a grown-up.
- Find the official source for one college fact and check its date.
- Update your résumé with one thing you did for someone else.
- Rehearse one hard conversation — a grade, a mistake, a request — before you have it.
- Ask your school about clubs, honors classes, and anything with "early" or "advanced" in the name. Ask what it takes to get in.
Free stuff for you
Federal checklists by gradeWhat to do in middle school to prepare for college — official and free.Khan AcademyFree practice in every subject, with videos.TRIO Talent Search / Upward BoundFree college-prep programs starting in 6th grade. Ask your counselor if your school has one.Interest assessmentFree. Find out what jobs match what you like.High (9–12)
College, trade school, the military, or work — you choose. Here's how to keep every door open until you do.
Your moves, by year
- 9th: Every grade counts from now. Join one thing. Start a real résumé. Ask what your graduation requirements are and write them down.
- 10th: Take the PSAT (it's practice and it's free at most schools). Look up one college's real price on College Scorecard. Find one scholarship you'd qualify for.
- 11th: Take the SAT or ACT (fee waivers exist — ask). Visit a campus, a trade school, or a recruiter. Ask two adults for recommendation letters before senior year starts. Bright Futures (Florida): check the requirements now, not in May.
- 12th: File the FAFSA the week it opens. Apply — college, trade program, apprenticeship, or enlistment. Track every deadline. Read every aid offer for what's free vs. borrowed. Then enroll, and do every task on the enrollment checklist.
The real places
FAFSA — studentaid.govFree. Opens in the fall of senior year. Never pay anyone to file it.College ScorecardReal cost, graduation rate, and what graduates earn.Florida Bright FuturesUp to 100% of tuition. Apply after Oct 1 of senior year, before Aug 31 after graduation.QuestBridgeFull scholarships for high-achieving, low-income students. Free. Deadline each fall.Free official SAT practiceKhan Academy + College Board.ACTOfficial prep and fee-waiver info.Common AppOne application for hundreds of colleges. Ask about a fee waiver.Apprenticeship.govPaid training in the trades. No tuition.CareerOneStopEvery job, what it pays, what it takes.REACH — once you're in collegeEFF's tools for staying enrolled: aid letters, balances, emergencies.Every link is an official government or program site, verified September 2026. EFF provides educational information and resource navigation; programs set their own rules. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. You can call or text 988 any time.