College / University
Explore a degree route in relation to your interests, intended field, requirements, and budget.
SCHOOLS & ORGANIZATIONS
Help students choose
their next chapter.
Seminars and workshops that help students explore their options after graduation, make informed education and training decisions, and prepare for work.
YOUR PROGRAM, YOUR STUDENTS
Pathway planning
before the pressure to choose.
Designed for high school seniors, community colleges, universities, career services teams, and student organizations. A major focus is helping seniors understand that they do not need to rush straight into college. Students explore different paths, reflect on their interests, and consider costs before committing. Career-readiness skills support whichever route they choose.
OPTIONS AFTER GRADUATION
There is more than
one way forward.
You do not have to race from high school into a decision you have not had time to explore. Learn what each path involves, how it fits your goals, and what it asks of your time and money.
Community College
Explore associate degrees, career programs, or a possible transfer route. Check the details of the specific program.
Trade / Technical School
Consider focused training for a skilled field. Compare program quality, costs, and credential requirements.
Apprenticeships
Explore opportunities to learn through structured training and work. Review the requirements and availability of each program.
Work & Experience
Consider work that helps you gain skills, learn about a field, and clarify what you want next.
A Purposeful Gap Year
Take time to plan, work, save, or explore. Give the year goals, a budget, activities, and regular check-ins.
A gap year can be a planning year.
For students who need time to find direction, an intentional gap year can create space to explore. The goal is a plan with purpose: learn about careers, gain experience, set goals, and decide on a next step that fits.
BEFORE YOU INVEST
Explore the career.
Understand the commitment.
A major is not a job description.
Some graduates build careers outside the field they studied. Before choosing a major, learn what the everyday work looks like, which credentials it requires, and whether it fits your interests.
Retaking a class can add costs.
In college, a failed course can mean more than another attempt. Retaking it can add tuition or fees, delay completion, and affect your aid eligibility. Costs depend on the school’s policies and your situation.
Ask before you commit.
Compare the full cost and time required. Ask about repeat-course charges, academic support, financial aid, and career outcomes. Use the answers to make a more informed plan.
Explore college graduate employment outcomes from the New York Fed. For course repeats, review a local tuition policy and federal guidance on repeated coursework and aid. Check your own school’s policies for your costs and eligibility.
PROGRAM FORMATS
Start with the big picture.
Go deeper with practice.
Flagship seminar
60–90 MINUTES
Beyond the Diploma: Your Next Move. Explore life after graduation: college alternatives, purposeful gap years, career exploration, and decisions about education and training. Discuss career fit and the financial impact of changing direction or retaking courses. Connect that planning to résumés, interviews, and professional readiness.
Hands-on workshop
FOCUSED PRACTICE
Choose a topic for deeper work: post-graduation pathways, gap-year planning, career exploration, résumé development, or mock interviews. Timing is tailored to your group.
Seminar + breakouts
A CONNECTED EXPERIENCE
Combine the flagship session with smaller activities that let students apply what they have learned. Scope is planned around your event and audience.
EXPLORE THE TOPICS
Learning that leads to action.
Your future is not a race
Explore college, community college, trade school, apprenticeships, work, and a purposeful gap year. Reflect on your interests, strengths, finances, and goals before committing to a path.
Student takeaway
Ask about this workshopLeave with a pathway comparison, questions about education costs, and three steps to explore your options.
Plan a session
that fits your school.
Share your audience, goals, preferred dates, and delivery format. A proposal can be shaped around your needs. Fees are provided with the proposed scope.
Tell us about your group
Start with your students, event, and career-readiness goals.
Shape the experience
Align topics, format, timing, and participation with your event.
Confirm the details
Review the proposal and confirm the session before sharing it with students.
A few practical details.
Does the program assume every student is going to college?
No. A central part of Beyond the Diploma is exploring multiple routes after graduation. College is not for everyone, and students do not have to rush into it. We discuss purposeful gap years, community college, trade school, apprenticeships, and work alongside college.
Can this fit a career day or senior event?
Yes. The flagship seminar and focused workshops can be considered for career days, senior programming, post-graduation planning events, and student-success initiatives.
Do students need a BHN membership?
No. The Student Hub and program information are accessible without a BHN membership.
Are virtual sessions available?
Yes. In-person delivery is the priority, with live virtual sessions available as an alternative.
What does a session cost?
Fees depend on the format, audience, location, and scope. Submit an inquiry to request a proposal.
THEIR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE