The Hidden Costs of Community College
Wednesday June 17, 2009
With the current economic downturn, the number of students going to community college has gone up significantly. The logic is simple -- a student can save tens of thousands of dollars by spending two years in community college and then transferring to a four-year college. Indeed, there are many good reasons to go to community college, and community colleges make higher education accessible to millions of people who would otherwise have difficulty furthering their educations.
However, you need to be deliberate and careful if you plan to transfer from community college to a four-year college. If all of your credits don't transfer or if you've chosen community college classes that don't fulfill major requirements at the four-year college, you may find that you need more than four years to complete your bachelor's degree. If this happens, your cost savings suddenly disappear.
To learn more, be sure to read the article on the possible hidden costs of community college. If you've had a frustrating experience transferring from a community college to a four-year school, please share your experiences with other readers.
Comments
Students attending community colleges in the State of Alabama can sign articulation agreements with the four-year university where they plan to transfer.
If a student follows the agreement, he/she will be able to ensure that every course taken at the community college level will transfer to the four-year university AND apply toward a pre-determined degree program.
Students must be proactive by choosing (and sticking to) a major and a transfer university.
Students must also build a relationship with the university where they will be transferring to ensure that all transfer requirements will be met.
Articulation agreements though very well-meaning often clash with the politics of four-year universities. I would recommend taking your English and math courses at community colleges because they are the easiest courses to transfer. If you must take a science class, contact the transfer school for lab because some may want you to retake it.
Can anyone help with my situation…
I am a 21 year old not from the states & not england either, but I was “educated” in england.
I came out of education with nothing. I have since scored a 1610 in the SAT, but I have no transcripts.
My lack of transcripts is proving to be the bane of my exsistance. [That & possible poor spelling]
Can anyone suggest what to do, as I am now at home, [Trinidad] & there is nowhere here to take the GED, for a high school equivilance.
Any & all ideas, suggestions are welcomed.
e-mail me below.
abcis at ymail.com