CompassionSTL
Plan Your Future – Education, Training & Careers
Education & Career Planning: Start Here
Use the resources below to explore your options after high school and make informed decisions. Visit and research each site.
Missouri Department of Higher Education
- Main site: – 800-473-6757 | dhewd.mo.gov
- 12 Free Publications – Prepare for College, Career Guide, Note-Taking, more
- Plan & Pay for College – dhewd.mo.gov/ppc
- Helping Adult Learners – Information & Institutions
- Workforce Development – Apprenticeships, Job Seekers, Training
- Missouri Higher Education Institutions – Public 4-yr, 2-yr, Specialized/Technical, Independent, Theological
- MO Virtual Campus Tours – Explore colleges visually
ACT & SAT Preparation / Success Tools
- ACT Resources for High School Success – act.org
- ACT Smart Goals – How to set SMART goals
- ACT How to Find Your Path After High School – Guide
- ACT Tips on Deciding What to Do After High School – Find your path
- SAT Plan for Life After High School – BigFuture by College Board
- Tips for College-Bound Students (SLU) – Early college prep tips
College Readiness & Support for Special Populations
- College Readiness Resources (PTA) – pta.org
- Rise First (First-Generation, Low-Income – FGLI) – Resource directory
- U.S. Department of Education – Colleges, universities, & higher education programs
Free College Tuition for Low-Income Students
- List of Colleges with Free Tuition – appily.com
- St. Louis University Promise – SLU Tuition Promise details
- Washington University Financial Aid – How WashU helps
What Do You Want to Do After High School?
- 1. Public 4-Year College – Missouri Higher Education Institutions
- 2. Public 2-Year College / Community College – St. Louis Community College – Start here
- 3. Apprenticeship – MO Apprenticeships | Resource Directory | Apprenticeship USA
- 4. Specialized Tech College
- 5. Independent College / University
- 6. Theological
- 7. Military – Should I join? | Today's Military
- More tools: – ACT: Find Your Path | Federal Student Aid – Choosing a School | SAT Plan for College | Get Schooled
College Planning & Financial Aid
- Journey to College – Explore careers, colleges, majors
- Search Missouri Colleges & Degrees – Find programs that fit you
- Missouri College & Degree Search (MO DHEWD) – web.dhewd.mo.gov
- College Navigator (NCES) – Filter by state, degree, financial aid, institution type
- Find & Compare Colleges / Career Schools – StudentAid.gov
- College Scorecard – Compare by location, cost, outcomes
- Community College Information & Resources – ed.gov
- College Search (MO.gov) – MO.gov education page
- Big Future (College Board) – Plan, pay, search colleges
Financial Aid & Tests
- FAFSA – Apply for federal student aid
- Student Financial Aid (Federal) – studentaid.gov
- Missouri Financial Aid for College – State programs
- Types of Financial Aid – Understand your options
- ACT Test – Register / info
- SAT Test – College Board SAT
- Higher Education Consortium of Greater St. Louis (HECSTL) – 314-985-7075 | hecstl.org (low-income, first-gen, disabled support)
Explore Careers & Your Interests
- My Next Move – mynextmove.org (careers by keyword, industry, interests)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – bls.gov/ooh (job descriptions, outlook)
- O*NET OnLine – onetonline.org (browse occupations by abilities, interests, skills)
- Missouri Career Pathways – Occupations at different education/training levels
- Peterson's College Search Tool – College Discovery Center & Test Prep
- MOScores (job training outcomes) – meric.mo.gov/data/moscores
Adult Education & High School Equivalency
- Adult Education Missouri – mo.gov/education/adult-education
- It's Never Too Late – Adult Learners – PDF guide (college degree or certificate)
- High School Equivalency (MOHSE) – 573-751-3504 | dese.mo.gov
- GED – St. Louis – 314-231-3720 | Find GED programs in St. Louis area
- Excel Adult High School (StL County Library) – Online high school diploma, academic support, career/college planning, college credit
Apprenticeships & Skilled Trades
- Missouri Works Initiative – 573-536-2237 | moworksinitiative.org | Apply Online – Apprentice Ready in Construction & Manufacturing
- StL Works – stl.works – Skilled careers (healthcare, manufacturing, trades, tech, first responders)
- Apprenticeship USA – apprenticeship.gov
- Missouri Apprenticeships – jobs.mo.gov/moapprenticeships
- On-the-Job Training (OJT) – jobs.mo.gov/ojt
- National Career Readiness Certificate (ACT WorkKeys) – ACT WorkKeys NCRC
- WorkReadyMissouri – dhewd.mo.gov/workforce-development/cwrc
- MO Training & Certification (mo.gov) – mo.gov/work/training
- Missouri Job Centers – Find a location
- SLATE Missouri Job Center (City) – 314-589-8000 – 1520 Market St, Suite 3050, St. Louis, MO 63103
- Ferguson Job Center (County) – 314-244-8020 – 2900 Pershall Rd, Suite 166, St. Louis, MO 63136
- St. Louis County Job Center (Crossings/Northwest) – 314-377-0445 – 6347 Plymouth Ave (MET Center), Suites 118, 206, St. Louis, MO 63133
St. Louis Community College (STLCC)
Main Phone: – 314-539-5005 | stlcc.edu
- Apply to STLCC – Application
- All Programs – Browse programs – 15 College Transfer, 80+ Career Programs
- Certificate & Degree Training Programs – Education for life
- Career Technical Education Support – Career/Tech programs
- Academic Pathways – stlcc.edu/pathways
- Continuing Education – Browse classes
- Online Programs – Distance learning
- Short-Term Career Training – Advanced Manufacturing (Boeing Apprenticeship), Trades, Transportation, Health Care | Adult Education & Literacy: 314-539-5310
- Career & Transfer Pathways – Catalog
Campuses & Education Centers
- Florissant Valley – 314-513-4200 | Info
- Forest Park – 314-644-9100 | Info
- Meramec – 314-984-7500 | Info
- Wildwood – 636-422-2000 | Info
- South County – 314-984-7200 | Info
- Harrison Education Center – 314-763-6000 (education & training for underserved area)
Follow Your Path to Success (Six Schools / Pathways)
- 1. Advanced Manufacturing – Info
- 2. Business / Culinary Arts / Hospitality – Info
- 3. Communications / Design / Creative Arts – Info
- 4. Education / Public Service / Social Sciences – Info
- 5. Health Professions – Info
- 6. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) – Info
- Exploratory – Info – if you're still not sure
More STLCC Resources
- Student Advocacy & Support Center – Meals, groceries, crisis response support
- Earn Your Associate Degree Before You Transfer – Benefits of attending STLCC
- Academic Advising – Career & transfer advising
- STLCC Tech Academy – Cybersecurity, Network Security Engineer, Software Development, Web Development, IT
- Missouri Tech Training (npower) – 314-513-4600 | Free tech training for young adults (earn up to 12 college credits toward STLCC Associate's)
- STLCC YouTube Channel – Videos about programs and student life
Job Search & Workforce Resources
- Employment Connection – 314-333-5627 | employmentstl.org
- St. Louis City Employment Help – City site
- St. Louis County Workforce – stlcowd.org
- Urban League Employment Services – ulstl.com/employment
- Catholic Charities Workforce Development – ccstl.org/workforce
- CareerOneStop – Careers, job search, training, reentry
- Job Corps (ages 18-24) – 800-733-5627 | stlouis.jobcorps.gov
- MET Center – 314-377-0445 | stl.works | Industrial certification programs
- YouthBuild St. Louis City – 314-657-3519 | City program page
- YouthBuild St. Louis County (North Oaks Plaza) – 314-261-0202 | Info (ages 17-24, GED, apprenticeship, job placement)
- Ticket to Work (SSI/SSD) – 314-621-6300 | ssa.gov/work
- Vocational Rehabilitation – dese.mo.gov/vr | Offices: Downtown 877-2940, North 475-7999, South 877-1900, West 587-4877
- Military Community Services (MO Heroes Connect) – jobs.mo.gov/mo-heroes-connect (counseling, career decisions, supportive services up to $1,500, homeless assistance)
- MO Job Centers / MoJobs – jobs.mo.gov | Missouri's Job Search Resource (MoJobs)
- USA Jobs (Federal Government) – usajobs.gov
- Occupational Outlook Handbook (How to Find a Job) – Guide
- Veteran & Military Transition Center – Civilian careers, school, jobs, benefits
- Justice-Impacted Job Seekers – CareerOneStop reentry resources
- SLATE Approved Training (download) – PDF flyer (Aspire Healthcare, Launch Code, Ranken Tech, Healthcare STLCC, Truck Driver)