Community colleges can save you money on your 4-year degree

Community colleges aren’t just for taking summer classes or receiving 2-year degrees. In many cases, attending a community college can be a great way to save time and money on earning your bachelor’s degree.

Agreements help community college students

Our friends at Erie Community College, located in Buffalo, NY, recently announced an articulation agreement with St. John Fisher College, a private, 4-year liberal arts college near Pittsford, NY.

This means that ECC students who follow specific programs will earn automatic admission to St. John Fisher after two years and, assuming all goes well, eventually graduate and receive bachelor’s degrees from the college.

But this agreement isn’t the first for ECC–the community college has more than 450 articulation agreements with other four-year colleges.

Why is this important?

Community colleges with articulation agreements in place set their students up for future success. Students don’t have to worry about finding and applying to schools all over again after two years–if they follow certain tracks, they’re guaranteed admission to quality 4-year colleges or universities.

Benefits of community colleges

Besides saving you the stress and money of applying to new colleges after two years, starting your bachelor’s degree at a community college could save you serious dough. For example, tuition alone for one year at St. John Fisher  is $27,870. At ECC, it’s either $3,995 or $7,995, depending on your residency status.

By spending two years at a community college like ECC, a local resident could save $47,750 on tuition, and still graduate with the same degree as the students who spent 4 years at St. John Fisher.

Of course, financial aid could reduce these numbers, but community college remains a great way for students to work toward a bachelor’s degree while reducing their college expenses significantly.

And since most people live near a community college, students can commute and save money on the on-campus room and board fees they’d be forced to pay at many 4-year colleges.

Community colleges offer other benefits as well–in many cases, their graduates earn more money than bachelor’s degree holders.

To save money on your degree, consider community college

Community colleges aren’t just for local residents or earning 2-year degrees. Students who intend to earn 4-year degrees would be wise to consider starting at a community college to save money on their degree.

It’s important to research the articulation agreements community colleges have in place carefully before attending. You may find that an inexpensive community college has an agreement with the university of your dreams that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.

If you need help finding an affordable community (or 4-year) college that can save you money on your bachelor’s degree, we can help. Give Rick and Andy a call at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us using this form.