Our Courses
The Go Alliance Academy’s instructor-led courses use a proven community learning approach.
- Earn 2.0 CEUs per course
- Join peers for online discussions
- See best practices in action
- Set your own schedule each week
- Limited time offer: $99 per course
View our full course catalog below and sign up for email alerts about upcoming courses.
2024-25 Course Catalog
This course focuses on the role of the school counselors and college access advisers in ensuring that all students have the necessary information and support needed to pursue education beyond high school. Participants will learn about the barriers that many students face in planning for postsecondary education as well as the specific strategies and practices that increase postsecondary enrollment.
Participants will also assess their own personal beliefs and attitudes about the readiness for college among groups of students and learn how to measure whether "college-going" practices are present in a particular school. (Note that in this course, the word "college" and "college-going" refer to any formal education beyond high school.) Finally, participants will assess the culture of their own school, then make a plan for improving the culture of postsecondary equity.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this Course:
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Orientation: Understanding the Barriers Faced by Special Population Students
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Session 1: The Role of School Counselors and College Access Professionals in Achieving Postsecondary Equity
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Session 2: What is a Culture of Postsecondary Equity?
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Session 3: Analyze Your Student Data
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Session 4: Creating a Culture of Postsecondary Equity
This course is designed to increase counselors’ understanding of current and future workforce trends, as well as the general and specific skills workers will need for job success. Topics include potential salaries for job fields that are expanding, shrinking and stagnating; the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the workforce; strategies for helping students identify career interests; and understanding the link between secondary course selection and the postsecondary credentials that lead to careers of interest.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this Course:
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Orientation: Good Jobs, Higher Education, and Socioeconomic Outcomes
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Session 1: The National Workforce Landscape
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Session 2: The Impact of Technology and Automation on Workplace Skills
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Session 3: Supporting Students’ Career Awareness and Development
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Session 4: Engaging Students in Career Oriented Academic Planning
This course focuses on the impact that college information has on students' postsecondary decisions as well as the impact that poor college fit can have on academic achievement and degree completion. Participants will learn how to reduce undermatch by helping students fully understand all of their postsecondary choices, important factors to consider when comparing colleges, and how to make informed decisions regarding financial, social, and academic fit.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
Course Sessions
- Orientation: College Match, Academic Achievement, and Credential Completion
- Session 1: Types of Colleges
- Session 2: Helping Students Avoid Undermatch
- Session 3: Visiting and Comparing Colleges
- Session 4: Making Match and Fit Decisions
This course provides an overview of how colleges make admissions decisions, including which factors are considered, how important each factor typically is, and how to help students present themselves in the best manner. Participants will learn about specific application components and the recommended timeline for completing each. Participants will also learn about early decision, early action, and regular decisions, as well as the pros and cons of each. Finally, participants will learn how to help students write effective essays and resumes as well as how to write effective letters of recommendation for students.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Orientation: Ethical guidelines of college admissions
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Session 1: How Admissions Decisions are Made
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Session 2: The College Application Process
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Session 3: Personal Statements and Activities/Resumes
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Session 4: Letters of Recommendation
In this course, you will learn about the critical role middle school plays in shaping students’ postsecondary readiness as well as the barriers to college that many students face. You will also learn about school cultures of educational equity and how to use your schools’ data to identify and address equity issues.
Involving students in transition activities and academic courses that link to their career assessments and interests are important elements in student motivation for learning. You’ll read articles about how middle school experiences impact students’ decisions to pursue education after high school. Additionally, you’ll learn ways to support students in their transitions from elementary to middle and from middle to high school.|
In this course:
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In this course, you will learn about the array of different postsecondary education options available to students as well as how changes in the workforce, spurred by technology and automation, have impacted the job skills employers need most. You will also learn how to help students identify career interests, and, using that information, plan for high school and postsecondary education.
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In this course:
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In this course, you will learn about school cultures of educational equity and how to use your schools’ data to identify and address equity issues. You will also learn how to expose students to the latest career options, how to help students develop the soft skills needed for academic and career success, and how to help students transition into Middle School.
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In this course:
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This course provides an overview the different types of financial aid programs available to learners pursuing education after high school, including grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study. You will learn about working with students in special circumstances (such as homelessness, foster care, and various immigrant categories). You will also learn what expected family contribution (EFC) is and how colleges use that information to determine each student's level of financial need. Two different forms used to determine student need, the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, are defined and compared.
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In this course:
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This course provides an overview of the various financial aid programs offered by the federal Department of Education and the student qualifications for each. Participants will compare different types of loans as well as the process that must be followed to qualify, utilize, and repay student loans.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
- Session 1: Federal Student Aid Programs
- Session 2: Additional Aid Opportunities for Students in Special Circumstances
- Session 3: Understanding Loan Options
- Session 4: Loans: The Borrowing Process
Participants will learn about the FAFSA form, including the information and documentation needed to complete it. This course covers the various terminology used on the FAFSA, each question that is asked, and how to help students answer these questions. The course also provides an overview of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) and which students are eligible to use it. Finally, participants will learn how to help students in unique circumstances answer specific FAFSA questions.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
- Session 1: The Critical Role of the FAFSA
- Session 2: Getting Started: Gathering Materials, The FSA ID, and IRS Data Retrieval Tool
- Session 3: The FAFSA, Step by Step
- Session 4: Completing the FAFSA with Special Populations of Students
In this course, participants will learn what happens after a student submits the FAFSA form. Sessions focus on the different components of financial aid offers, the process of how institutions create these offers, how to compare offers, and how to make an appeal for additional aid. Participants will learn how financial aid administrators use professional judgement (PJ) to determine whether or not to adjust a financial aid offer and what rules and regulations they must follow in doing so. Finally, this course explains the verification process and what students can do if selected for verification.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
- Session 1: Navigating Verification
- Session 2: Comparing Financial Aid Offers
- Session 3: Professional Judgement and Financial Aid Appeals
- Session 4: Putting it All Together: The FAFSA Completion Initiative
In this course, you will explore the factors that are associated with increased engagement, retention, and degree completion among college students. You will also consider ways in which you can help students increase their odds of success. You will also learn how to help students become aware of the academic expectations of postsecondary institutions and how college is different from high school. You will consider tools to help students develop the academic mindsets, resilience, self-advocacy, and social skills that predict success in college. Additionally, you will learn strategies for helping students avoid summer melt. Finally, you will research ways to track student outcomes after high school.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Orientation: Understanding Student "Melt"
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Session 1: Communicating Postsecondary Expectations
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Session 2: Developing Skills for Academic and Social Success
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Session 3: Reducing Summer Melt
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Session 4: Tracking Postsecondary Outcomes
This course includes strategies for how to ethically identify special populations and increase their postsecondary success. Participants will learn how to create a safe and supportive environment for special population students, how to coordinate with community resources, and how to educate school staff about working with these students. Participants will explore ways to develop students’ self-advocacy and resilience skills. Finally, participants will investigate alternative graduation requirements and learn how to help students overcome challenges to their academic progress.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Orientation: Introduction to Special Populations
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Session 1: The Role of the School Counselor in Advocating for Special Populations
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Session 2: Building Support Systems for Special Populations
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Session 3: Helping Students Build Resilience and Self-Advocacy Skills
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Session 4: Academic Progress and Planning
This course addresses the skills and knowledge required to help special student populations (e.g., homeless students, students in foster care and wards of the court, students with disabilities, LGBTQ students, migrant, immigrant and refugee students) prepare for education after high school. Participants will build their knowledge and skills in helping special populations explore postsecondary options; unique situations in the college application and financial aid processes; and helping special population students successfully transition into education after high school.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Orientation: The Impact of Special Experiences on College Readiness and Enrollment
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Session 1: Postsecondary Exploration
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Session 2: College Admissions Testing and Applications
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Session 3: Helping Special Population Students with Financial Aid and Scholarships
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Session 4: Transition to College
In this course, participants will analyze their current practices and consider ways to improve their college and career programs. Participants will build knowledge and skills in several areas, including how to advocate for school counseling services; how to evaluate postsecondary education and career advising practices; how to build school, community, and postsecondary partnerships; and how to maximize counselors’ time and effectiveness.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Orientation: The Role of the Professional School Counselor in Student Postsecondary Planning
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Session 1: Explore Ethical Practice and Advocacy in Postsecondary Advising
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Session 2: Evaluate and Refine Postsecondary and Career Advising Programs
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Session 3: Work with Partners and Build Social Capital
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Session 4: Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Postsecondary Education and Career Advising Program
This course, developed for principals, assistant principals, and other administrators, helps school leaders understand how to engage effectively with school counselors to take the steps needed to achieve your goals in school improvement. You will increase your knowledge of how school counselors impact student success; better understand the school counselor’s role; learn about comprehensive school counseling programs and how to support one; and learn how to develop a shared vision for student success with your school counselor.
CEUs: 2.0 Hours: 20
In this course:
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Session 1: The Impact of School Counselors on Student Achievement
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Session 2: Understanding the Role Of The School Counselor
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Session 3: Setting Expectations For a Comprehensive School Counseling Program in Your School
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Session 4: Strengthening The School Counselor-Principal Relationship