Alternatives to 4-Year Colleges

AmeriCorps

The national service program in the United States in which young people serve in a community organization

Apprenticeship

Time spent as a novice learning a trade from a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training under a skilled worker

Associate's Degree

A degree that generally takes two years of study and is awarded by a community, junior, or business college

Gap Year

A year between high school and college when some students engages in various educational and developmental activities, such as travel or some type of regular work

Hard Skills

Learned abilities acquired and enhanced through practice, repetition, and education

Internship

A temporary paid or unpaid position that involves direct work experience in a career field

Leave and Earnings Statement (LES)

Monthly pay stub and the statement showing your entitlements, deductions, leave information, and tax withholding information

Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS)

A military location after initial recruitment used to determine, under military regulations, policies, and federal law, whether or not you are qualified to serve in the United States Armed Forces, and -- if so, what jobs you may qualify for, under individual service regulations

Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)

A program to train college students to become officers in the US Armed Forces

Soft Skills

Attributes and personality traits that help employees interact with others and succeed in the workplace

Trade School

A type of higher learning school that focuses on job skill training for specific career fields rather than academics in liberal arts

Vocational Training

Training that is focused on hands-on work that prepares you for skilled trades, like plumbing, cosmetology or car repair