Nothing Wrong With Community College

Ever since you were little, your parents have been talking about this wonderful thing called college. They told you that you have to go there to get an education before you can get a good job. Many kids have dreamed of going to college, and being able to get the job of their dreams. By putting in hard work and dedication to good grades in high school, you had high hopes that you would be able to get into an Ivy League school. The American dream of being able to go to college to get a degree is sliding away from many people due to rising costs. With increasing tuition prices and job loss, the college dream is slowly and surely slipping away from many students and their families.

Community college is a great institution for students to start their educational journey. Especially when they do not have the funds or lack some of the prerequisite that a university would require. Community college was created to serve the community, traditional and non-traditional students with the best higher education and lifetime learning opportunities. The faculty and staff members at a community college is there to provide leadership in education while going above and beyond to recognize the needs of the students and the community by providing excellent educational programs and support services that are available to all who have the opportunity to take advantage of them. “Student services now include recruitment and retention, counseling, student activities, student health, financial aid, academic support, career centers, transfer centers, and supplemental services such as transportation, child care, and services tailored for specific populations of students” (Cohen, Brawer, & Krisker, 2014, pg. 209). My philosophy in fulfilling the role and mission of the community college, is to establish the mission, vision, goals and values to guide all students on their journey to strive to become successful both in school and in today’s economy.

“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.

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

There has been a moment in everyone’s life where they have dug too deep to jump back out and abandon the end goal. Students across the country that begin their junior year of high school are thinking about which choice of colleges they have in mind. One of the major problems that keeps a student back like solid steel chain is the tuition it cost for University admission. Students working their hardest throughout their high school career and having the ever conscious situation of financial problems stress them out. Students become discouraged when one of the main reasons for being unable to attend their dream college, is their inability to afford the yearly tuition cost of attendance. Students are then forced to face reality, in the sense that,

Once my senior year started, it seemed as if all I heard was “College this, college that”, because of all of this discussion I was second guessing even going to college as a whole. From taking SATs, ACTs, and planning prom, college for me was the least of my worries. Fast forwarding to November where college applications are due, I still have no clue on what college I am going to attend. All of the California State Universities applications closed November thirty-first, while the out-of-state schools did not close until the top of the following

Where does one go to college, to further their academic education, while also having qualifications, time, and money restricting them? The simple answer to this question is Community College. Individuals regularly struggle to attend college, either after high school or later in life, because of the difficulties of attending major universities. Therefore, community college is crucial, to people of all ages, wanting to further their education.

College is something everyone should experience. Even if it is for just for a year in the least. Not everyone gets to experience the ‘real world’ effects as the ‘real world’ slaps us in the face. We hear when we are small that college is what we all should do but, what if you can’t do it by means of expense? There are so many things that need to be paid for. You may ask; “What about scholarships?” Not all schools let you stack so you still end up with expenses that range from class supplies, books, and all the way to room and board. With all these items that need to be paid for and more, college just isn’t an option most of the time.

The drastic and exponential rise in college tuition and fees has thousands of Americans questioning if the education is worth the high costs. Knowing that a college education may open doors and allow for career opportunities that would not be there without a college degree, many feel pressured to attend. High school seniors specifically feel this pressure as the topic of whether or not they want to attend college and where comes into question. Not only do students have to be concerned about if the college they wish to attend has particular degrees, but also the cost of the secondary education. As a senior in high school I personally understand the frustration in considering the cost of college when choosing the right college to attend. Student

College can be perceived in two different ways: for most, the word inflicts fear into high school students around the nation; on the other hand, there are individuals that simply want to get away from home to party and live on their own. There is no sympathy for these students and it is just a waste of his or her parent’s hard-earned money and trust. College is essential for a secure future and this has let colleges raise the tuition to astronomical heights. Inflation, causing the cost of living to increase, combined with rising tuition has created major financial problems within families across America. Colleges are damaging the future of America and the government should do more to regulate the larceny conducted by the major schools.

One question that I am often asked after introducing myself is “but why are you here though?” For many people that I’ve talked to, the thought of a Wisconsinite moving to Michigan for community college seems a little out of place. For most people, community college is something that is done before moving to another state for college,not after. However, this was not the route I was destined to take, and it payed of to be one of the best ones of my academic career, even if it does come of as a little strange.

Attending a community college usually makes people cringe. It is not the first pick of an average high school student. Community colleges are hardly ever advertised however, the traditional four-year schools are. Throughout all four years of high school the word university is drilled into student brains so exploring the idea of attending a community college does not stand a chance. The football and basketball teams, the sororities and fraternities, to having the bragging rights for attending a well-known university is what students imagine when going to college. Even though students transfer from community colleges into four-year schools, the idea of attending community college is perceived to be the easy way out or a lack of effort. In the

I enjoyed your point of view! I do not think it is about the institutional differences or the differences in the students who attend the institutions but it is a needs based decision. To me both are going to be accredited institutions who are responsible for educating the student the same, so why can a student not go to community college if it is more convenient and it fits their needs? Maybe their needs are not as involved and they can attend a four year university so that works for them as

Most of the time when the word "college" to the mind of most freshman in the United States think to themselves "Ohhhh no college isn't for me it's for "smart" kids and the kids that can read codes on a computer and find a virus and destroy it". After reading Scott Anderson's "Dear 9th Graders" I have learned that all the myths about applying for college do not have any business to be in our brains as a freshman. As a freshman all we should worry about right now is our grades and enjoying the time that we have in highschool because you only live once.

For an Iowa resident, the cost to go to community college is one hundred and forty-five dollars per credit hour. For an undergraduate, each credit hour is worth three hundred and thirty-six dollars, but a graduate credit hour fee is worth five hundred and thirty dollars. Students can save a lot of money by going to a community college rather than a university or private college. Have you seen the news lately? Anything that involves college, especially community college? President Barack Obama is working on this proposal on having the first two years of community college free. That’s right, free! This plan is called the America’s College Promise. This would save students even more money by going to