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10 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Introduction Slide |
Today I am going to be presenting on community college and why starting postsecondary education at one is such a logical choice for recent high school graduates. |
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What is Community college? |
First of all, I’d like to provide a brief overview of what community college actually is and some of the primary benefits it offers for young students. |
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"Junior Colleges" |
Often called “junior colleges”, these 2-year institutions are much greater in number than 4-year colleges, allowing more people to have access to them. This enables many young students to remain in their hometown for the beginning of their postsecondary education if they don’t feel comfortable leaving right away or don’t want to face the added cost of housing during college. This could very well be one of the reasons why nearly a third of all college-bound high school students choose community college. |
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Earn an Associates degree |
Typically, community college students earn an associates degree in either the arts or the sciences. While these choices may seem quite limited, students can choose from multiple subject areas for either one - whether it be social sciences, business, or humanities for a degree in the Arts or technology, math, and engineering for the Sciences. |
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Cost and Aid |
But before I return to the discussion of community college’s educational value, I’d like to highlight another notable feature of community college - the cost. |
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Cost Comparison |
As you can see here, the average yearly tuition for an in-state public community college is $3,730. The average tuition for an in-state 4-year college is nearly 3 times that much, and that’s excluding the room and board costs that come with it. This is an especially beneficial aspect for recent high school graduates who may not have much in the way of finances yet. |
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Financial Aid |
And if the tuition still seems expensive, around 85% of community college students receive some form of additional financial aid, with 25% receiving a Pell grant - money meant for educational purposes that does not need to be repaid. And the cost of community college can be further reduced by scholarships - whether it be need-based, merit-based, or skill-based, such as an athletic scholarship. |
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Educational Opportunities |
Returning to the discussion of educational opportunities community college provides for young students, there are many paths to take besides simply earning an associate’s degree and entering the workforce. |
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2+2 Plan |
A popular option for young students is what is typically known as the 2+2 plan, which entails spending 2 years at a community college and then transferring to a 4-year university for another 2 years. Through this process, students earn a bachelor’s degree - the same bachelor’s degree that they would have earned by spending all 4 years at the university, except for a much more affordable cost, as the credits earned at community college cost less and exclude additional costs of living. |
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General Education Requirements |
Similarly, many high school graduates also enroll in community college to earn general education requirements for a degree or program they plan to pursue afterwards. Again, this is because on average, earning credits at a community college is a lot cheaper than earning them at a 4-year college. But, high school graduates who choose this path should be aware that the transfer credit process has a reputation for being tricky to navigate and can often result in the failure of some credits to successfully transfer. |
