With the dramatically rising costs of tuition,
many families are turning towards the financially-savvy decision of starting on
the higher education path first at a two-year community college. Many
universities, both public and private, have articulation agreements with local
community colleges. Therefore, attending a community college for two years
before transferring to a four-year institution can save significant amounts of
money – while still providing you with an excellent bachelor’s degree from the
university of your choice.
According to the College Board, for the 2007 –
2008 school year, community college’s average tuition and fees are $2,360. This
is in contrast to $6,185 at a public four-year institution, or $23,712 for a
private four year institution.
Calculating the specific academic savings
For example, let us calculate the savings if
you begin your academic career at Pasadena City College, which has articulation
transfer agreements with the public UC campuses and the private University of
Southern California.
If you are a resident of California and attend
Pasadena City College full-time, which is based upon 12 units, then you have the
following annual academic costs:
- Tuition
and Fees: $508
- Books and school supplies: $1500
In contrast, at the private University of
Southern California, you have the following full-time annual academic
costs:
- Tuition and fees: $30,850
- Books: $1,000
At a public, University of California campus,
the annual full-time academic costs for a California resident are:
-
Tuition and Fees: $8,385
- Books: 1,300
If you attended Pasadena Community College for
the first two years, your tuition and books would only cost $4,016. At a public
UC, these first two years would have cost $19,370, and at private USC, you would
pay $63,700. Therefore, by starting at Pasadena Community College first, you
pocket an extra $15,354 in contrast to a public UC, or you save an
exorbitant $59,684 over the private school USC!
Even greater savings when you consider all
cost variables
The savings discussed above are strictly
calculated based upon tuition, fees, and books. They do not take into
consideration the costs of housing, meals, transportation, or interest costs on
student loans. When you calculate these other factors, the savings of attending
community college first become even greater.
Many students who attend community college
have the option of living at home for the first two years, saving significant
amounts of money. The average cost of dorm housing at a UC campus or USC is
approximately $13,000 per year, and thus, a student attending Pasadena City
College who lives at home will pocket an extra $26,000 at the end of the two
years. Therefore, in contrast to a student who started freshman year at a public
UC campus, after two years, the community college student has now saved an
extra $21,354 – or a dramatic $85,684 in comparison to a private
USC student.
The flexibility of community college
scheduling, including distance learning and evening courses, allows students to
work either part-time or full-time for the first two years of college. In
contrast, attending a four-year institution typically involves less flexible
class scheduling, which makes having a job more difficult.
By attending a community college for the first
two years of your academic career, you not only save tens of thousands, but you
can also earn more money to put towards your savings account and
future. Considering that the value of a college’s bachelor’s degree is the same
for every student, regardless if they started at the institution their freshman
year or transferred, attending a community college is a financially savvy
decision that can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
