Tools for Students

What is CaliforniaColleges.edu?

CaliforniaColleges.edu is the State of California’s official college and career planning platform for 6th-12th grade students enrolled in public school districts. It is a state-funded comprehensive digital platform with the tools students need to develop their college and career plans, available at no cost to students, educators, and parents/guardians in public school districts.

The platform enables 6th-12th grade students to obtain the information and guidance they need to successfully complete college and financial aid processes, while also providing tools for educators to identify students that need the most help and target their interventions effectively.

Laptop featuring CaliforniaColleges.edu in a library

About the Student Tools

With an account on CaliforniaColleges.edu, students can do the following, all in one place:

students in ironworks class using circular saw

Discover

their strengths and interests, learn how they connect to fulfilling careers, and understand the steps they’ll need to realize their goals.

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Plan

and track high school courses and grades, college and major searches, and career exploration.

College Application website on desktop computer with colorful post-its

Launch

and track their applications to California’s three public colleges, as well as their financial aid application.

CaliforniaColleges.edu also collects student transcript data from school districts to support students’ admission and enrollment into higher education by seamlessly passing the data to the state’s public colleges.

Students can register either a Basic Account or a Partner Account on CaliforniaColleges.edu, depending on their school district. Students with Basic Accounts can access most of the tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu, unless otherwise noted. Students with Partner Accounts have access to additional tools and functionalities that require their transcript data to be uploaded into CaliforniaColleges.edu.

College and Career Exploration Tools

The College and Career Lessons on CaliforniaColleges.edu are designed to teach students how to create a plan for life after high school. In using the College and Career Lessons, educators with limited time and resources can be assured that they are delivering quality college and career guidance to students. Learn more about the College and Career Lessons by clicking on the blue bar below.

The lessons include topics appropriate for each grade level that help students understand: 

  • Their social, emotional, and personal needs and how those impact their college and career goals.
  • Their personal values, skills and interests.
  • How their values, skills, and interests align with different careers.
  • Different pathways to desired careers such as vocational certificates, apprenticeships, degree programs, or professional licenses.
  • College eligibility, so that students can thoughtfully plan their coursework and keep their college options open.

The College and Career Lessons do this by providing step-by-step guidance for how and when to use tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu, such as the:

  • Career Assessments
  • Career, College, and Major Search Tools
  • Academic Planner and Life Planner
  • California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) Eligibility Tools and application integrations

By completing the College and Career Lessons, students will have:

  • Learned baseline information about college and career.
  • Made a postsecondary plan that is intentional and informed by their skills, interests, aspirations, and needs.
  • Developed soft skills, such as a growth mindset and self-advocacy, that will prepare them to navigate new environments.

Career, College, and Major Search Tools

The search tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu allow students to identify potential careers that match their interests, find what majors will help them achieve their career goals, and explore what colleges best meet their individual needs.

The Career Search Tool on CaliforniaColleges.edu helps students find the right career path by allowing them to explore careers that match their interests, learn what they involve, see what kind of pay and growth potential they offer, and understand what education and skills they will need to pursue them.

See the Career Search Tool in Action

Check out the How to Use the Career Search Tool tutorial on the Resource Hub.

23 STEPS

1. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.

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2. Sign in to CaliforniaColleges.edu.

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3. Hover over Career in the top menu bar.

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4. Click Career Search Tool.

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5. You can search careers using keywords, by industry, or based on Bright Outlook.

Bright Outlook identifies occupations that are expected to
see growth in the near future.

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6. Enter your keyword then click Search.

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7. Clicking the Search button provides you with a list of careers that are connected to or closely related to your search.

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8. You can favorite careers using the heart icon on the right side of the search results. This allows you to come back to them later without having to search again.

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9. Compare two careers by checking the box next to the career and then clicking Compare.

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10. Comparing two careers shows you the career description, education level, and salary side-by-side.

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11. Click on a career from the list to see the Career Summary page.

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12. At the top of the page you can see that you have selected this career as a Favorite and also view a brief description of the career.

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13. As you scroll down you can review the responsibilities, work activities, academic knowledge, skills and interests associated with this career.

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14. View Programs and Majors related to this career and browse the colleges that offer them.

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15. Back at the top of the page, click the More Related Careers tab to explore an expanded list of careers.

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16. Click the heart icon to add any career to your Favorites.

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17. Click the More on Salary & Potential Growth tab to view more information about the average salary and how it differs across the country.

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18. Click Back to Career Search Results.

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19. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.

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20. Hover over My Plan in the top menu bar.

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21. Select My Career Plan from the dropdown menu.

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22. Under the Career List tab, you can view all the careers you have selected as Favorite.

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23. Click on one of the careers from the list to be taken back to the Career Summary page.

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Here’s an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2183351/How-to-Use-the-Career-Search-Tool-and-My-Career-Plan?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

College and Career Planning Tools

Preparing to succeed in college, career, and life begins by making a plan. Students’ My Plan is their portal to the college and career planning tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu. In their My Plan, students will find the tools to help them prepare for life after high school by tracking their activities, next steps, applications, and much more on CaliforniaColleges.edu.

The Academic Planner can help students review their completed courses and grades, make sure they’re on track to achieve their college and career goals, and plan potential future coursework.

Students with Partner Accounts will have their courses and grades automatically populated in their Academic Planner, while students with Basic Accounts must manually input their courses and grades into the Academic Planner.

Each year, students can revisit the Academic Planner to plan potential courses for the following year.

See the Academic Planner in Action

Check out the following tutorials on the Resource Hub:

Middle School

13 STEPS

1. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.

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2. Sign in to CaliforniaColleges.edu.

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3. Hover your mouse over My Plan in the top menu bar.

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4. Select Academic Planner from the dropdown menu.

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5. Once in the Academic Planner, you can add the name of the high school you’re planning to attend. To change it, click Change Your High School.

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6. Once you click on Change Your High School, you can select any high school in California.

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7. Once you’ve selected the correct high school, click Save.

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8. Once the high school is selected, you can add courses you plan to take by using the plus sign icon (➕).

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9. Using the dropdowns, you can select the course name, the term type, such as year, semester, or trimester, and the term in which the class takes place.

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10. Click Submit.

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11. Once you click Submit, you’ll see your class listed.

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12. Once a course is added to your Academic Planner, you can use the pen and paper icon (✐) to modify or delete it.

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13. Read the slide for more information.

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Here’s an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2183205/How-to-Use-the-Academic-Planner-for-Middle-School-Students?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

High School

10 STEPS

1. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.

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2. Sign in to CaliforniaColleges.edu.

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3. Hover over My Plan in the top menu bar.

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4. Select Academic Planner from the dropdown menu.

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5. As a student in a partner district, your completed and current courses, along with the grades you’ve received, will be automatically added to your planner.

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6. To add a planned (future) course, click on the plus sign icon (➕) under the subject area in which your course takes place.

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7. Using the dropdown menus, you can select the course name, the term type, such as year, semester, or trimester, and the term in which the class takes place.

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8. Once you’ve selected the course name, term type and term season, click Submit.

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9. Once you click Submit, you’ll see the class listed.

If the course continues over more than one term, such as the fall and spring semesters, you can add additional terms underneath using the same process.

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10. Once a course is added to your Academic Planner, you can use the pen and paper icon (✐) to modify or delete it.

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Here’s an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2201041/How-to-Use-the-Academic-Planner-for-High-School-Students–Partner-Accounts-?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

College Application Tools

When students are ready to apply to colleges, they can use CaliforniaColleges.edu to make sure they’re eligible to apply to CSUs and UCs, as well as launch and track their applications to UCs, CSUs, and California Community Colleges—all in one place.

To achieve their college goals, students need to know what they have accomplished and what steps they still need to take. The CSU and UC Eligibility Tools on CaliforniaColleges.edu help students:

  • Track their progress toward meeting CSU’s and UC’s minimum GPA and A-G course eligibility requirements.
  • Identify subject areas they have not yet satisfied.
  • Identify courses that may require special attention when a student submits a Cal State Apply or UC Application, such as dual enrollment courses or A-G courses that do not currently match a course title on the official Course Management Portal (CMP) list.
  • Seek advice from their counselor with any concerns about their courses and grades.

Additionally, to make it easier to review students’ CSU and UC Eligibility progress, educators can download and print students’ individual CSU and UC Eligibility reports. Educators can bulk-print and distribute the PDF reports of students’ CSU and UC Eligibility progress to help them better inform their students’ course selections and to start their college application processes. This also helps educators conduct work when internet access is not readily available.

NOTE: The CSU and UC Eligibility Tools are not available to Basic Accounts. If you have a Partner Account, you’ll be able to access the tools.

See the CSU and UC Eligibility Tools in Action

Check out the How to Use the CSU and UC Eligibility Tools for High School Students tutorial on the Resource Hub.

13 STEPS

1. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.

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2. Sign in to CaliforniaColleges.edu.

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3. Hover over My Plan from the top menu bar.

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4. Click Academic Planner.

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5. Click the CSU Eligibility or UC Eligibility tab.

The UC/CSU Eligibility Tool uses your high school transcript data to track your progress toward meeting the CSU GPA requirements and passing the required A-G coursework.

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6. At the top, you can find your GPA, calculated using the CSU criteria.

You may find that your high school calculates your GPA differently. If you have questions, ask your counselor.

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7. The target graphic showing whether you are on track to meet ‘a-g’ requirements. You can also see whether you’ve passed all CSU required ‘a-g’ courses. If not, you can find an overview of what you still need.

If you have questions, ask your counselor.

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8. Read the description to learn more about the CSU Eligibility Tool to better understand how your coursework is organized and coded.

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9. Click Prepare to Meet Eligibility Requirements for CSU to be taken to an in-depth guide on applying to CSU’s as a Freshman.

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10. Read the slide for more information.

Click the right arrow below the tutorial to advance to the next slide.


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11. The grid displays the A-G coursework you’ve completed, along with classes you’re currently taking.

Green courses are verified A-G courses that you’ve passed with a C- or better.

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12. Take note of how courses are color coded and ask your counselor if you have any questions.

Red courses are A-G courses you’ve completed with a D or lower, and do not count towards your requirements.

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13. Yellow courses are listed by your school as A-G but do not appear on the approved A-G course listing. These can delay your admission or possibly result in a denial.

Make sure you ask your counselor about these before submitting your application.

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Here’s an interactive tutorial

** Best experienced in Full Screen (click the icon in the top right corner before you begin) **

https://www.iorad.com/player/2183366/How-to-Use-the-UC-and-CSU-Eligibility-Tools-for-High-School-Students–Partner-Accounts-?iframeHash=watchsteps-1

Financial Aid Lessons

Through CaliforniaColleges.edu, students can access guided Financial Aid Lessons that will help them learn about, plan for, and apply for financial aid.

The Financial Aid Lessons help students understand the costs of going to college and how financial aid can help them pay for college, as well as how they can access and apply for financial aid. They provide students with step-by-step instructions to help them track the status of and complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA), as well as compare financial aid packages from colleges that have accepted them.

We know that most California students will attend a California public college or university. That’s why they are designed specifically for California students and provide information about state-specific supports, such as the California Dream Act Application, Cal Grants, California Promise Grants, California Dream Loans, the Chaffee Grant for Foster Youth, and the Middle Class Scholarship. The Financial Aid Lessons are also curated, grade-appropriate, and help students build their financial aid literacy and understand what options they have to pay for college.

Most importantly, the California Education Code requires students to receive information on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA) prior to the 12th grade. The Financial Aid Lessons on CaliforniaColleges.edu were designed to support educators in meeting this requirement and its content standards. Educators can additionally track which students have completed the Financial Aid Lessons’ modules.

Starting as early as the 6th grade, students can access the Financial Aid Lessons on CaliforniaColleges.edu. New lessons become available to students as they progress through their high school journey.

How to Get a Student Account

Ready to get started on CaliforniaColleges.edu? Use our District Lookup Tool to see what your specific next steps are for getting a CaliforniaColleges.edu account.