In a Bad Economy, Community Colleges are Booming

The economic crisis means growing business for the nation's community colleges. The New York Times recently reported on the increase in applicants to CUNY's 2-year colleges. Similar trends can be seen across the country. When money becomes scarce, more students seeking bachelor's degrees consider community colleges for the first two years of course work. In other cases, people who have lost jobs often enroll in community colleges to acquire degrees and certifications that will make them more competitive on the job market.

Community colleges will always be less expensive than 4-year state universities and private colleges, but prospective students should prepare for tuition hikes. States like New York and California have budgets that are so far in the red that funding of education is going to take huge cuts. Tuition increases are about the only way to make up for the lack of state dollars.