Thank You, School Counselors. (2024)

School counselors across this country should be applauded for everything that they do for students. It’s really inspiring, actually — that we’re fortunate enough that someone would decide to pursue a career based around rooting for us, championing us and pushing us along on a path as we trudge along, sometimes messing up. Later, when we look back, it’s easy to see the impact that a school counselor had on us. Maybe they have more to do with our success than we realize.

So, thank you to all the school counselors who have sacrificed their time and efforts to make a difference in our lives. Thank you for your commitment to the potential of students everywhere. Thank you for the dedicated nudging, and the reminders. You inspire us to help, to push and to nudge each other — and we’re grateful.

And maybe, just maybe, we all have the potential to embody the spirit of a counselor. Maybe we can all embrace that role and help those around us. Yes, even you.

You can nudge a friend to apply to the school of their dreams, even though they don’t think they have what it takes to get in. You can take a fellow student to an SAT prep class to better prepare them for the big test. You can hold a college application party at your house. Common App, here we come!

You CAN influence the people around you to work harder, study longer and reach higher than what they themselves thought was possible. In a way, we’re all school counselors — or at least, we can jump into the role. Each of us can be a counselor, a friend and a resource for students as they navigate higher education.

The First Lady? An unexpected counselor.

Up Next? A digital counselor.

You? A personal counselor — for friends, for students and for anyone who wants to try harder.

Because of the work that school counselors have already done, we’re injecting their spirit, their persistence, their drive, their compassion and their love into a congregation of teachers, parents and other students around the nation who are dedicated to providing advice, resources and help to those who need it. We honor the work that counselors have done and will do, and join them in their mission. To be a school counselor to those who need it, and to thank a school counselor for their work and help in your own life.

So you’re game? Great. Here are some resources to help — yourself and others.

Financial Aid

Visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn more about college or other options for higher education, the different types of aid that are available, who is eligible and how to become eligible, how to apply, and finally — how to manage loans once they’ve been accepted. Click through for more information on the process. We got you.

Financial Aid Shopping Sheet

Need a little organization in your life? The Financial Aid Shopping Sheet is a document that students can fill out to help them break down the costs associated with going to the college of their choice. Line items include the estimated cost of attendance (tuition fees, housing and meals, books, transportation, etc.), total grants and scholarships to pay for college, loan options, federal work-study, etc. Print, fill out, be ready.

College Calculator

A little math never hurt anyone. Net Price Calculators are available on most college or university websites, allowing prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year, after taking grants and scholarship aid into consideration.

College Finder

Once a student has selected a college or has a list of colleges they are interested in, they can visit the College Navigator to learn more about those institutions including the types of degrees and programs they offer, admission requirements, campus safety statistics, accreditation information, retention and graduation rates, etc. The list of higher education institutions is limited to those who have provided information to the Department of Education through the services it offers.

College Scorecard

Released in 2015, this website was constructed with federally available data and is designed to provide the clearest, most accessible and most reliable national data on college cost, graduation, debt and post-college earnings.