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COLLEGE CAREER READINESS
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Who We Are

The College and Career Readiness Team launched in Spring of 2020, to prepare residents of Jersey City both for higher education, as well as their beginning, or continuing their careers. We believe that no matter what our patrons are planning to do during, or after high school, and into the future, they should be able to choose the college and career pathway that will lead them to success.

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What We Do

We find and share vital information that makes your college search easy.

  • We provide tips on how to get into college, including guidance on your personal statement.
  • Our knowledgeable staff assists with SAT preparation
  • We are here to answer questions via email and telephone about the college admission process.
  • We share valuable materials and tools that students need to pursue their college goals
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What You’ll Find

  • Access to SAT preparation videos, scholarships.
  • Personal statement advice, tips on getting college grants.
  • Things to know before you leave for college.
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What We Offer

  • We help with applying for scholarships to help reduce the high cost of college.
  • We have links to share a variety of avenues to help pay for college.
  • Our staff can help you develop good study habits and time management.
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Why College Matters

We understand that going to college is a big decision but the articles below explain the short- and long-term benefits of going to college. The College Readiness staff is here to help you reach your college dreams.

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Why College Is Worth It

UNIGO is your source for over 3.6 million available scholarships and grants to help you fund your college education. Read More

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The Impact of a
College Education

Since the UNCF’s founding in 1944, they have helped to more than double the number of minorities attending college. The six-year graduation rate for UNCF African American scholarship recipient is 70%. This is 11% higher than the national average and 31% higher than the national average for all African Americans. Read More

Databases/ Study Help
LearningExpress

LearningExpress Library provides preparation with courses for core academic skills such as English, math, science, and writing, and for older students, college placement exam prep for the SAT, ACT, Advanced Placement exams, plus the TOEFL iBT. Those seeking career guidance and assistance will also find occupational certification courses, core skills courses for adults; and job search and career change information and tools. Jersey City Free Public Library also offers LearningExpress Library modules in Spanish.

Gale: Peterson’s Test and Career Prep

Peterson’s Test and Career Prep helps students and adults be better prepared down the road for both college and their career. Discover comprehensive test prep and career solutions from Peterson’s, a world-leading educational provider.

Explora Secondary

Explora Secondary is particularly useful for high school students learning to complete their own research.

Financial Aid & Scholarship Resources:
Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid is your one-stop-shop for all types of government financial aid, including loans for graduate programs. Federal Student Aid will walk you through the types of aid available, your eligibility, and offers financial awareness counselling sessions for prospective and current students and parents.The most vital step in applying for federal grants, work-study, and loans for college is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

FinAid

FinAid is the most comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools. Finaid’s custom calculators can help you figure out how much school will cost, how much you need to save and how much aid you’ll need, as well as a comprehensive scholarship database.

The College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization created to expand access to higher education. Membership consists of over 6,000 educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.

CollegeSource Online

CollegeSource Online is a database of 155,320 digital college catalogs, institution profiles, transcript keys, and other resources accessible digitally, in order to help you select the right college or transfer institution. CollegeSource also provides a number of webinars dedicated to the process of college applications, college transfers, and academic advisement.

Niche.com

Niche does rigorous analysis on large data sets, combining them with feedback from our community for nuanced insight that can’t be found anywhere else. This allows them to provide the most comprehensive list of available scholarships on the Internet.

FastWeb

FastWeb’s goal for the past 25 years has been to eliminate the “search” from the scholarship search, finding scholarships that match the qualifications and interests of each student that they serve.

UNCF

Thirty-seven historically black colleges and universities belong to the UNCF network of member institutions. UNCF provides these colleges and universities with a range of support that enables them to keep their academic programs strong and their tuitions affordable. As a result of this support, member institutions educate more than 60,000 students each year and have produced more than 450,000 graduates with the help of UNCF.

AIE

AIE is a public service website developed to help students plan and complete their journey through higher education. These free resources for students and their families are designed to help students find the right school for them, finance their education, develop career goals, manage their money, and graduate into a life full of opportunities

Attention: The Five Corners Branch will have a delayed opening at 11 AM on Wed, Jul 10th due to staff development.

Please be informed that the Earl Morgan Branch will be closed for Staff Development from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on Tuesday October 29, 2024. Hours of operation will resume at 1 PM.
📢 Communipaw Branch Hours Now Extended! Check out the new schedule at jclibrary.org/branch/communipaw 📅

The Learning Center will be closed from Wednesday, May 29 through Friday, May 31. Thank you for your understanding.

The Marion Branch will closed from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM on Friday, August 16 due to staff development. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo desde JCFPL! Celebrate with us and explore our Spanish-language collections at Biblioteca Criolla.

All library locations will be closed on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. We will reopen and resume services on Tuesday, November 12.

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Marion Branch Library will temporarily close Today, 6/4/2024, from 12:00pm-1:00pm. The Marion Branch will reopen at 1:00pm.

Biblioteca Criolla has new operating hours. See the updated schedule here.
Please be advised that the Earl Morgan Branch will be closed for Staff Development from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on September 24, 2024. Hours of operation will resume at 1 PM.

Miller Branch will open at 11:00am on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, due to a delayed opening.

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Biblioteca Criolla at PGML will temporarily close Today, 8/15/2024, from 4:00pm-5:00pm.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on August 16, 2024, and will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Please be informed that the Bookmobile will be off the road today, Tuesday, November 19.

Morgan Branch will open at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, July 16 due to staff development. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Bookmobile Services Temporarily Unavailable from May 8th to May 10th. We apologize for the inconvenience caused.

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Program Room at the Heights Branch will be closed Today, 8/19/2024

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Marion Branch will be closed Today, 8/19/2024 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Heights Branch will open at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, July 16 due to staff development. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Biblioteca Criolla will be closed from 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Today, Tuesday, August 20, 2024. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

Heights Branch will have a delayed opening at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Five Corners Library will open at 11am on Wednesday, June 12th. We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding.

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Marion Branch will be closed Today, 8/22/2024 from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

All library locations will close at 12:30 PM on 8/23/2024 for the Annual Backpack Giveaway. Please note that only patrons who registered during the specified period will receive a backpack due to high demand. 

All Library Locations Will Be Closed on Friday, April 19, for Staff Development. The Library Will Open for Services on Saturday, April 20. We Apologize for Any Inconvenience.

Please be advised that the Bookmobile will be out of service from Monday, August 26th, to Monday, September 9th. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Today for Hudson Gives, there will be a $5k match minute at 2:01 p.m. and later at 5:51 p.m.. All giving will end at 11:59PM on May 17th.

📢 Important Update: The Communipaw Branch Library is closed today. We apologize for the inconvenience.

We are currently experiencing an issue where some patrons with Yahoo email addresses may not receive email notifications from our system, SIRSI. SIRSI is actively working to resolve this problem, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.

The Cunningham Branch will be closed from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM today November 19. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please note that the Bonetti Department will be closed from 3 to 6 p.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024, for the SLP Kickoff Party ,which will take place in the Fourth Floor Multipurpose Room. Thank you for your understanding.

In observance of Labor Day, all JCFPL locations will be closed on Saturday, August 31, and Monday, September 2. We will reopen on Tuesday, September 3 during regular hours.

Please be informed: the Cunningham Branch will open at 1:00 PM on June 26th; we appreciate your understanding.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on June 28, 2024, and will be open at 10:00 am.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on July 19, 2024, and will be open at 10:00 am.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on September 20, 2024, and will be open at 10:00 am.

CORRECTION, NO DELAYED OPENING: The Pavonia Branch will be open during its regular hours, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, on Friday, October 18, 2024.

Correction: The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on Friday, November 22, 2024, and will open at 10:00 am.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on December 20, 2024, and will be open at 10:00 am.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Earl Morgan Branch will be closed Today 6/17 from 2 PM to 3 PM. The branch will reopen at 3 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Biblioteca Criolla Will Be Closed for Services Today 6/17 From 2 PM Onward Due to the SLP Kick Off Party in the 4th floor Multi-Purpose Room.

📢 Due to unforeseen circumstances, today's "World Animal Day" craft event on October 4, 2024 has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

Please be advised the Heights Branch will be closed for staff development on Wednesday, June 26, from 10 AM to 11 AM. The branch will open at 11 AM following the session.

Please be informed that the West Bergen Branch will open at 2:00 PM today, September 3, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Registration for the Jersey City Free Public Library Annual Backpack Giveaway has been extended until August 12. Visit this page to register while supplies last.

The Priscilla Gardner Main Library will open at 12:00 pm on 05/24/2024 due to a delayed opening.

Please be informed that the Marion Branch will be closed for Staff Development from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on October 11, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Five Corners Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 05/30/2024 due to a delayed opening.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the West Bergen Branch will be closed today 8/1. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

CORRECTION: The Marion Branch will be open for regular hours on Friday, November 15, 2024.

The West Bergen Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/05/2024 due to a delayed opening.

Please be informed that the Marion Branch will be closed for Staff Development from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on December 13, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Cunningham Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/06/2024 due to a delayed opening.

Please be informed that the Five Corners branch will be closed to the public for Staff Development on September 11, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The Morgan Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/13/2024 due to a delayed opening.

The Miller Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/18/2024 due to a delayed opening.

Please be advised that the Bookmobile will be off the road for the remainder of the week and will return on Monday, August 5th. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The Marion Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/20/2024 due to a delayed opening.

📅 Find out when the Bookmobile will be in your neighborhood! See Bookmobile Schedule

The Heights Branch will open at 12:00 pm on 06/21/2024 due to a delayed opening.

All library locations will be closed on Monday, October 14, in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. We will reopen for services on Tuesday, October 15.

The Bookmobile is out of service until Thursday, June 27, 2024.

The Pavonia branch will have a delayed opening for Staff Development on August 30, 2024, and will be open at 10:00 am.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the bookmobile will be off the road from Tuesday, Oct.15 through Thursday, Oct. 17

Our holiday schedule has been updated for each of our branches. We encourage you to visit your branch's page to view important information regarding closures, limited hours, and alternate hours. Thank you.

In observance of Memorial Day, all branches of the library will be closed on Monday, May 27th, 2024. The library will be open for service on Tuesday, May 28th, 2024. Thank you for your understanding.

The Heights branch will be closed to the public for Staff Development on September 18, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

The bookmobile will be off the road today, Oct 4, 2024. Thank you for your understanding.

West Bergen Branch Is Temporarily Closed Today 5/23/2024 due to flooding. We Anticipate Reopening on or Before Fri., May 24.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Pavonia Branch will be closed today 8/9/2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

The Cunningham Branch will be closed from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM today, July 6. It will reopen at 2:00 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

The Communipaw Branch will be expanding it's hours of operation starting on November 1st. For more details, visit the Communipaw Branch Page.

Please be advised that Priscilla Gardner Main Library will be closing at 5pm today, April 11th, 2024.

All library locations will be closed on Friday, October 25, for staff development, and the Bookmobile will not be making trips. Regular services will resume on Saturday, October 26.

Please note that all library branch locations will be closed in observance of Independence Day on July 4th, 2024.

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