As you register for 9th grade courses, talk with your school counselor about options such as honors, AP, Early College, and Career and College Promise.

You can start saving with as little as $25 with the NC 529 Savings Plan.

Try a career assessment to learn about yourself and careers that might be a good fit for you.

Make sure you're on track to meet the course and grade point average requirements for college admission.  Ninth grade is when you start building your transcript with courses and grades that colleges consider.

Take a look at some of the many ways to make college affordable, and share them with your parent/guardian.

Search the CFNC Student Enrichment Programs directory to discover opportunities such as camps, classes, or volunteering to help you prepare for college.

Use CFNC College Search to research two- and four-year colleges. You can filter, compare, sort, and save your favorites to help you plan your college visits.

Check out college entrance requirements as well as tools to help you prepare for the ACT and SAT.  Many colleges use entrance tests to predict your academic performance in college-level courses.

Look into the many options for earning college credit during high school such as Career and College Promise, Early College, and AP courses.

Create a username and password (FSA ID) so you'll be ready to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) next October.

Use CFNC College Search to narrow your list of colleges, and determine if you'll need to take tests such as the ACT or SAT for admission.  Take the PSAT in your junior year if you want to participate in the National Merit Scholarship program.

Complete a practice application for admission on CFNC.org to become more familiar with what an actual application is like.  You can use CFNC.org to apply to most NC colleges and to send your official transcripts for free.

Not sure what you want to do after you graduate?  Begin completing the assessments you can find on NCcareers.org and you may find a path you weren't even considering.

Narrow your list of college options and make a list of all the deadlines for admission applications and financial aid.  Many deadlines are in the fall and early winter.

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) soon after it becomes available on October 1. Complete your NC Residency Determination Service (RDS) process so you'll qualify for state grants and in-state tuition.

Take advantage of the CFNC Application Hub where you can apply to NC colleges and send your official transcripts for free.  

If you haven't already done so, visit NCcareers.org and complete the assessments you'll find there.  These assessments will help you gain perspective on what courses you may to consider taking in college.

NCcareers.org provides updated career assessment and information that can help guide you to a career you'll love.

Learn about the many ways to make college affordable including scholarships, grants, work-study, savings, and loans.  

Use Transfer Planner to learn about transfer opportunities, especially if you've already earned college credits and would like to pick up where you left off.

Create your own plan for budget and lifestyle, and then see careers that match. It pays to look ahead with the Reality Check tool.

Learn about the federal and NC income tax benefits when your withdrawals are used to pay for qualified college and K-12 educational expenses.

Choose one or more investment options, whatever mix meets your investment objectives, time remaining until college, and tolerance for risk.  

Use the Savings Calculator to see how saving on a regular basis can make a big difference.