diff --git a/src/components/CareerExplorer.js b/src/components/CareerExplorer.js
index 22f0d43..111151a 100644
--- a/src/components/CareerExplorer.js
+++ b/src/components/CareerExplorer.js
@@ -670,7 +670,7 @@ function CareerExplorer() {
       `Are you sure you want to move on to Educational Programs for ${career.title}?`
     );
     if (!confirmed) return;
-
+    localStorage.setItem("selectedCareer", JSON.stringify(career));
     // 2) Look up CIP codes from masterCareerRatings by SOC code
     const matching = masterCareerRatings.find((r) => r.soc_code === career.code);
     if (!matching) {
diff --git a/src/components/EducationalProgramsPage.js b/src/components/EducationalProgramsPage.js
index 911f590..def99c2 100644
--- a/src/components/EducationalProgramsPage.js
+++ b/src/components/EducationalProgramsPage.js
@@ -116,6 +116,10 @@ function EducationalProgramsPage() {
       'You’re about to move to the financial planning portion of the app, which is reserved for premium subscribers. Do you want to continue?'
     );
     if (proceed) {
+      const storedOnboarding = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('premiumOnboardingState') || '{}');
+      storedOnboarding.collegeData = storedOnboarding.collegeData || {};
+      storedOnboarding.collegeData.selectedSchool = school; // or any property name
+      localStorage.setItem('premiumOnboardingState', JSON.stringify(storedOnboarding));
       navigate('/career-roadmap', { state: { selectedSchool: school } });
     }
   };
@@ -221,9 +225,10 @@ useEffect(() => {
       setCareerTitle(parsed.title || '');
 
       // Re-set CIP code logic (like in handleCareerSelected)
-      let rawCips = Array.isArray(parsed.cip_code)
-        ? parsed.cip_code
-        : [parsed.cip_code];
+      let rawCips = parsed.cip_code || [];
+      if (!Array.isArray(rawCips)) rawCips = [rawCips].filter(Boolean);
+
+      
       const cleanedCips = rawCips.map((code) => code.toString().replace('.', '').slice(0, 4));
       setCipCodes(cleanedCips);
 
diff --git a/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CareerOnboarding.js b/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CareerOnboarding.js
index b7e9c48..43874b0 100644
--- a/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CareerOnboarding.js
+++ b/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CareerOnboarding.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // CareerOnboarding.js
 import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom'; 
 import axios from 'axios';
 import { Input } from '../ui/input.js'; // Ensure path matches your structure
 import authFetch from '../../utils/authFetch.js';
@@ -15,12 +16,27 @@ const CareerOnboarding = ({ nextStep, prevStep, data, setData }) => {
   const [selectedCareer, setSelectedCareer] = useState('');
   const [collegeEnrollmentStatus, setCollegeEnrollmentStatus] = useState('');
 
-  // On mount, if data already has these fields, set them
+  // 1) Grab the location state values, if any
+  const location = useLocation();
+  const {
+    socCode,
+    cipCodes,
+    careerTitle,   // <--- we passed this from handleSelectForEducation
+    userZip,
+    userState,
+  } = location.state || {};
+
+  // 2) On mount, see if location.state has a careerTitle and update local states if needed
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (data.currently_working) setCurrentlyWorking(data.currently_working);
-    if (data.career_name) setSelectedCareer(data.career_name);
-    if (data.college_enrollment_status) setCollegeEnrollmentStatus(data.college_enrollment_status);
-  }, [data]);
+    if (careerTitle) {
+      setSelectedCareer(careerTitle);
+      setData((prev) => ({
+        ...prev,
+        career_name: careerTitle,
+        soc_code: socCode || ''
+      }));
+    }
+  }, [careerTitle, socCode, setData]);
 
   // Called whenever other <inputs> change
   const handleChange = (e) => {
diff --git a/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CollegeOnboarding.js b/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CollegeOnboarding.js
index f82c642..b15afc2 100644
--- a/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CollegeOnboarding.js
+++ b/src/components/PremiumOnboarding/CollegeOnboarding.js
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ function CollegeOnboarding({ nextStep, prevStep, data, setData }) {
   const [manualProgramLength, setManualProgramLength] = useState('');
   const [autoProgramLength, setAutoProgramLength] = useState('0.00');
 
+
+  
   /**
    * handleParentFieldChange
    * If user leaves numeric fields blank, store '' in local state, not 0.