Planning for college can start at any age and we offer resources for students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Our tools and publications help families plan, prepare and pay for college. This month, our focus is on campus visits, virtual tours, college planning and cost comparisons to help students make the best decision for their future.

Picking a College Decision Tree – This easy-to-use visual chart helps students choose a college by focusing on the level of education desired, school type and size. If a student is having trouble deciding which path to take, this chart is a great place to start.

Making the Most of Campus Visits Guide – One of the best ways to determine which college or career technology center will be a good fit is a campus visit. Students should always step foot on the campus of their desired school before deciding to attend. This guide suggests places to visit while on campus, a campus visit checklist, and suggested questions for the admission staff. Can’t make a visit to campus? Make use of the Virtual Campus Tours on OKcollegestart.org to see what your favorite schools have to offer.

College Cost Worksheet – Use the College Cost Worksheet to track education expenses and your eligibility for financial assistance. This worksheet allows you to determine your out-of-pocket costs for the schools you’re most interested in attending. Save each completed worksheet to compare the overall costs at each institution.

College Matching Assistant This tool helps students find colleges that meet their requirements. Search criteria include school type, public/private, size, in or out-of-state tuition, plus more. This is a good place to start when comparing colleges.

School Finder – This exploration tool helps students narrow down a list of thousands of institutions to only the ones that match their needs from a comprehensive list of school characteristics. 

Financial Aid Planning Timeline – Learn what to do now to be successful in planning and paying for college with our helpful checklists. These checklists highlight beneficial information for students from 7th grade through their freshman year in college.  

Glossary of College Terms – Having trouble understanding some of the terms associated with attending college, financial aid and more? Students sometimes make mistakes because they don’t understand the terminology used when planning for college. Use this glossary to beef up your college-going vocabulary.

Other Online Resources

UCanGo2.org is a great source of tools, resources and publications to help students plan, prepare and pay for college. Be sure to check out the information on the financial aid process while you’re there!

The UCanGo2 Outreach Team is available to provide free presentations or Zoom webinars at your school, library or community center on college planning and the FAFSA! We can also share information about Oklahoma’s Promise, finding scholarships, and creating a StudentAid.gov account. To request a workshop: