SACRAMENTO — State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell today announced that there are new features on the state’s "one-stop online shop," CaliforniaColleges.edu [http://www.CaliforniaColleges.edu] (Outside Source), a Web-based resource that helps thousands of California students prepare for college.

CaliforniaColleges.edu is the state’s official publicly funded Web site designed to provide free information to students, counselors, and parents about colleges and careers, admission policies, and how to plan and pay for higher education.

"As a result of intensive outreach efforts over the past year, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students using the CaliforniaColleges.edu Web site," said O’Connell. "At a time when tens of thousands of high school students are focusing on where to go to college this fall, this Web site is an invaluable tool. I hope that it will help us close the persistent achievement gap by increasing the number of students going to college, helping them plan their academic future, and preparing them for success in the challenging global economy."

The number of student accounts has increased 160 percent from 6,891 in 2007 to 17,890 so far this year on CaliforniaColleges.edu. The new resource now available on the Web site is a set of classroom lesson plans, complete with student activity handouts that cover various college and career exploration topics and provide college preparation guidance. This resource allows teachers and counselors to work easily and efficiently with students in a classroom setting. The lesson plans are available for downloading from the "Educator Tools and Resources" section of the site.

All users of CaliforniaColleges.edu may also quickly and easily locate current detailed information ranging from admission criteria to financial aid to athletic programs offered at more than 215 public and private California colleges and universities. Users can even search for colleges based on personal preferences and create side-by-side comparisons of the schools that match the preferences. When students are ready to apply to college, they can simply follow a link to the online application form for most California colleges and universities.

One of the most powerful tools of CaliforniaColleges.edu is the "High School Planner" that allows students to enter their coursework and grades received beginning in grade eight. By doing so, students can determine their progress toward meeting the minimum eligibility requirements (know as the "a-g" subject requirements) for admission to a public four-year college or university in California. The Web site’s "Career" section provides a series of free assessments that help users determine their strengths, values, and interests. The results of these assessments can be matched to career paths, college majors, and particular postsecondary education institutions that offer those majors.

The comprehensive "Financial Aid" section of the Web site provides a scholarship search engine that allows users to search a nationwide database by entering a keyword or establishing a personal profile. It is also possible to view sample financial aid packages that use predetermined scenarios to show how a financial aid package is prepared at California Community Colleges, California State University, University of California, and private schools. By setting up a free and secure account on the site, students can even transfer their personal information directly to the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that all financial aid applicants are required to file annually with the U.S. Department of Education.

CaliforniaColleges.edu is a collaborative initiative of the California Education Round Table comprised of the chief executives from the California Department of Education, the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, California Postsecondary Education Commission, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities. For more information, please visit CaliforniaColleges.edu [http://www.CaliforniaColleges.edu] (Outside Source).