Therefore, students begin dreaming of college; where they will attend and what they will become when they grow up. Unfortunately, the absurd college and university tuition hikes have forced many prospective college bound students to shift gears on their journey to receiving a college degree. One of the modifications made to the dreams of many, is college selection. Thousands of students have opted to start their college careers at a community college. Community colleges are designed to serve as a pathway from high school to college and most offer two-year transfer or university parallel programs that prepare students wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution. Community Colleges are generally more cost efficient therefore, grant access to many more students desiring a higher education. CNN Money journalist, Kim Clark reports that, “While community college tuition posted a sharp 8.7% gain, it's still a bargain: only about $3,000 a year for full-time tuition” (Clark). Clark also suggests that due to recent increases in federal grants and tax benefits, the average total aid was raised above the average tuition price of community colleges, therefore, “the typical community college student got the cost of tuition and most textbooks fully covered” (Clark). According to the College Board, “four out of 10 graduating high school students begin their college careers at community colleges” (Why Community College?). Typically, courses that are
Unlike community college, universities have a campus that extends over a very large area with many secondary buildings that have consists of classes. In respect to that, they also offer on-campus housing and dorms, which might be rare in the case of community colleges. Due to this reason most foreign students tend to enroll at four-year colleges. From dorm-living and hanging out on the quad, to school spirit and homecoming celebrations, four-year colleges give you the camaraderie of being in a university setting and a traditional collegiate experience that you just won’t find at a community college.
Attending community college before completing your bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution can save you a sizable chunk of change. Tuition and fees at public community colleges average less than half of those at public four-year colleges and about one-tenth of those at private four-year colleges, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. “I think my student loan was at least half of what I would have paid otherwise,” O’Brien says.
Today, many people seek higher education for a better advantage in finding a job and getting a better life. Even though many people think going to a four year college directly from high school is a good idea; they are wrong. Starting out at a two year community college is more affordable. Also, it helps people explore careers and prepare people to do better in four years college later down the road.
There are some students that can barely afford a community college, and community college prices are not as high as four year universities. Many people in the US wants to go to college and
Students attending private universities pay an average tuition of $35,374. Those who attend a community college for the first two year of their education save $8,000 or more. Since most of the same financial aid including Pell grants and Stafford loans is available for any institution choice, students in the lowest income brackets can expect a larger financial aid refund from a community college than a university. Those who need a university education to meet their career goals may be able to attend a community college part time while they work and save up. Then, when they transfer to a university for their final two years, they may have saved enough that with financial aid, they can pursue their four-year degree.
Attending a community college has several benefits such as the low tuition and book fees, smaller classes, and experienced teachers at an affordable cost. In this two year period students also have the time to mature and get serious about their career before they get into the four year institution
This is not the only way that you can save by going to a community college. Chances are a larger university is not near your home. A school closer to home allows you to stay home and cut your bills another way by eliminating room and board fees and transportation expenses. Driving across town and maintaining your sometimes drastically lower living expenses sounds much better than the usurious bill many find themselves incurring at a larger school miles away from home.
In the article “Two Years Are Better Than Four” author Liz Addison writes about how community college is a forgotten option for many students in America, and that it is not well advertised like the universities are. She writes about how community college is a great option for students who need a less expensive option, but still want a chance to further their education. Addison also writes about how they allow everyone to attend so you can “just begin”. Community college is a great option for many students because it allows for an affordable option for students to continue their education.
One of the biggest decisions a student has to make is deciding the college they should choose, a university or a community college? At the end of their high school years, a student must decide what college would be best for them. If they are fortunate enough not to have to go to work and wait to go to college, then they must make a decision. There are many advantages and benefits of attending a community college. Students should carefully weigh the advantages of each college, as there are many pros and cons of both. As both of them provide a number of choices, it makes a student's decision very exhausting whether a community college or university best fits them. As there are many advantages attending a community college, tuition is a big factor, as it is only a fraction of that at a university which makes it much better to choose a community college to begin your college career.
Here is where two-year institutions shine. Since most two-year colleges are designed for commuters, students are responsible for finding their own housing and get to avoid the high costs of room and board. Two-year students get a huge break on tuition as well.
“Forty percent of college students choose community college…Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready for the new economy, without a load of debt,” quoted President Barack Obama (Calvert). The average community college tuition is about five thousand dollars or less. Compared to an average four-year college, it can ten to twenty thousand dollars of tuition. Let’s say you decide to go to a community college after high school or whenever. You would most likely be saving a lot of money by going to a community college instead of a four-year school. Imagine how much you would save if America’s community colleges were free. Not having to pay for two years of college would save around ten thousand dollars,
Tuition cost plays a vital role in deciding whether to attend a community college or a four year institution. According to Susan Stafford, “Tuition for community colleges is affordable while tuition costs at public institutions are usually at least twice that of a community college” (1). The tuition cost in universities can be overwhelming and highly unaffordable, This have caused many students to graduate with s heavy loads of debt but by attending a community college, an individual can
Community colleges and four-year colleges differ in several ways such as; class size, cost, and social climate. A vital component to community colleges is small class sizes an advantage of a low student-to-teacher ratio.
When you graduate high school you have your choice of what kind of an education you want to get. You have your choice of going to a 4-year university, or a 2-year college. In order to decide you will compare the two and use the comparisons to come up with your final decision. Questions to ask yourself would be, what are you looking for in college, how do you want to learn, and how much money do you have to work with. Comparing University and Community college the first thing that comes to mind is the difference in price. Certain Universities are more expensive than others. The difference in price is because of the difference in price and size, also because of the difference in the