Students are making great decisions with their lives, including how to make the best financial decisions for their future. One of those imperative decisions is where to go to college. Heading to community college is a great option for many reasons.
Education saddles students with so much debt it prevents them from buying a home or saving for retirement, or their parents or grandparents take on some of the financial burden. Here are reasons why you should choose a community college.
1. Community College is a more affordable option than a 4-year university. You can always do two years first and then transfer, saving around $80,000 by not attending a university right out of high school.
You can also attend a community college starting in high school and save you money and time in the long run.
2. If you go to a community college in your hometown, you can save on tuition, board, and so much more that would cost you at a larger university. Every part of going away to college will cost including traveling back and forth, either by plane or car to your family, and you must live somewhere that may be more expensive since it’s in a college town.
You may have to provide your own transportation or pay for passes for public transportation and so many other costs that are associated with living away from home.
3. You can focus more on your school since you won’t be distracted by extra university activities. As exciting as all the new experiences can be, they can also hinder your education in the beginning. It takes time to form new friends, go to events, and figure out your new place.
If you go to a local community college, you will still do new activities and meet new friends, but you won’t feel the need to spend all of your time investing socially in it and figuring out the amenities of where you live. This leaves more time to focus and study in those first years of college.
4. You may be able to work at your family business or locally while going to a local community college. Many families run a business that they would love to have their young adults take part in. What better way to start experiencing the business, even part-time, while you start college.
You can also keep your local job to make money to spend if you stay at a community college. Another bonus is you will be in a location where people already know you and your family, and in life, it’s not what you know but who you know for future opportunities.
5. You can gain core credits to eventually transfer to a major university or graduate and head on to a university for your Masters or further education. Why not get the basic requirements out of the way for what you want to do.
Pay as minimal as you can those first few years and get your general education requirements under your belt. Then if you want to transfer to a larger university, you can.
6. Typically, you can get more time with the professor at community colleges and smaller class sizes. This can lead to learning the subject better and more time as needed to gain the grade needed.
College classes, especially in the beginning, can feel overwhelming. With smaller class sizes and a smaller school, you can get the attention required if you need assistance on any subject matter.
