Community Colleges: The best kept secret for spending less and getting more in higher education

Studying at a university like MIT or Stanford is not an option for many wanting a higher education due to the high grade requirements and the tuition fees. Community Colleges are a great way to access universities after two years of hard work and proving to admissions officers that you belong at their school.

They are a very good option both for their ease of access and for their cheaper fees. Community colleges are located all over the US and are very popular for students looking for an alternative to four-year universities. It is a very good option for many young people, especially those who are not very clear about what they want to study in the future. It’s a way to try out different options and then focus on something more specific.

Community Colleges are more affordable

Community Colleges offer college education for students from all backgrounds and with a wide variety of different goals. Associate degrees are two years long and serve to relaunch professional careers, specialize in a specific academic subject, and for some, are a stepping stone to later study at traditional four-year universities.

The advantages are many because the fees are half the price of four-year state universities and a fraction of what it costs to study at a private university. The fees for Santa Barbara Community College in California are about $1,234 for in-state students while studying at UCLA would cost over $40 thousand for out-of-state students. The total cost at Santa Barbara Community College is estimated at roughly $11,000 including accommodation and living expenses, which is a lot cheaper than other 4-year state universities.

Easier access to 4-year universities

But the fees aren’t the only advantage when choosing a Community College. The academic requirements are also more flexible and tutoring and financial aid packages are available for students who qualify. Those who successfully complete the two years at the Community College have a clear pathway to being admitted to most state universities.

Associate degrees that can be completed in two years at Community Colleges provide easy access to four-year universities. Students can create a plan with college tutors to obtain credits that are then transferred to other universities for further study. The advantage is that students have time and a variety of options of subjects to help them discover what they want to specialize in.

Transfering credits should be easy, but that’s not always the case. For example, if a student in Indiana earns an associate degree in nursing, they can transfer to a public, four-year university without losing credits, “Whenever possible we direct students into those pathways,” said Jane Michalak, a vice president at Ivy Tech Community College. “Because by state law then those credits are supposed to transfer seamlessly as long as it’s within the same program.”

Flexibility choosing subjects and pathways

Students come from different backgrounds, countries, ages and have different goals as well. Not everyone wants to move on to a four-year university later. Some people who choose to study at a Community College choose to take a specialized course to advance in their jobs, or simply learn new techniques related to a specific job they are interested in. Moreover, courses are offered at different times, even different places and tutors will guide students through the process to help them find what’s right for them.

Community Colleges get a bad rap and Hollywood is sometimes unfair when portraying the professors and students who attend those institutions, but the price tag and different options are great reasons to consider studying at these schools.