Dont Forget To Submit Or Delay Your Documents With Your Application
Remember that we told you about school transcripts? Well, if you have completed your high school and have still not received your diploma then ask your school for transcripts.
All high schools are happy to provide you with them and all community colleges readily accept these as temporary replacements to your final documents.
The reason why we are emphasizing this a lot is because not submitting your documents leads to delays and you might even miss out on the current term of enrollments.
What Are Some Of The Benefits Of Attending A Community College
Cost is perhaps the greatest benefit for many families, as the price tag on tuition for community colleges is significantly less than most four-year institutions. The average annual tuition and fees for public community college was about a third of the average annual tuition for four-year colleges for the 2015-2016 school year.
Class sizes tend to be much smaller at community colleges, allowing more one-on-one time between your student and their professor. In addition, the faculty may be more focused on teaching than faculty at larger, four-year institutions where many professors spend a lot of time on research and have teaching assistants who lead smaller discussions.
Community colleges are also flexible. Students can take several classes at a time, go back to school later in life, earn professional certification, and much more. The lower cost and faculty-to-student ratio contribute to this flexibility.
Check Out Your Financial Aid Options
Financial aid plays a huge role in all parts of college, from your first undergraduate school, to your next, to your graduate school, and even beyond.
Thus, we highly recommend talking with financial aid advisors or administrators for those schools you hope to transfer to. Specifically, you should complete the FAFSA and any additional forms your schools request, as these will help them determine how much financial aid they can offer. Additionally, some schools provide net price calculators online for prospective students. These calculators give students an idea of how much aid will be offered.
If you receive your financial aid offer and feel that it is not sufficient, consider appealing for more financial aid. A financial aid appeal will allow you to present more information to the financial aid office. That will offer a better picture of your finances and hopefully offer more aid. Remember that college is a huge investment, and that youre allowed to negotiate.
If your aid is still not quite enough, consider scholarships! Your prospective school likely has some specifically for their students, so we recommend checking online or asking a financial aid advisor. Alternatively, if youre interested in scholarships, we have a great selection at Scholarships360! Check out: scholarships by major, , , and more!
See also:This years FAFSA Guide
Don’t Miss: Ashworth College Job Placement
Taking The Required Tests
Applying For Financial Aid
Don’t Miss: Famous Military College
What Can Community Colleges Offer To Students
Most community colleges offer two-year Associate’s degree programs in a wide variety of academic and pre-professional fields. A growing number also offer Bachelor’s degrees, though most of these programs are relatively new and limited in options.
People who run community colleges know that not every student wants to stop at their Associate’s degree in fact, many students attend community college to earn credits and transfer to a four-year college. To ease this transition, lots of community colleges have “articulation agreements” with their local state school system.
These agreements allow a student to transfer credits smoothly from community college and enter as a junior in a 4-year program. Students can also apply to schools outside of this agreement, but they may need to put a bit more individual effort into making sure their credits will transfer.
This plan, often referred to as a “2 + 2” plan, can have serious financial benefits. Community colleges tend to be more affordable than 4-year institutions, and their flexible class times make it easier for students to work part-time or even full-time jobs.
Most community colleges are open access, meaning that all students can enroll . Many students appreciate the typically small class sizes and attentive professors, who tend to spend most of their time teaching rather than doing research, as with many of their counterparts at research universities.
It’s always good to clarify your reasons before taking a big leap.
Decide Where To Apply
Since community colleges are open access, you don’t have to send applications to a few different safety, target, and reach schools as you would for other colleges. Instead, unless you’re applying to an especially selective track, you can figure out where you want to go and just apply there.
If your main concern is staying close to home, as it is for many students who will be commuting, then you may simply choose the school in the most convenient location. Most states have several community colleges Massachusetts has 15 in 24 locations, New York and Texas have over 30, and California has 113! Chances are, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding local community colleges.
Of course, you also want to make sure that the school has the program you want. Research its website, email the admissions office, go on a tour, and attend information sessions. These should be available throughout the year, and usually, you can sign up through the school’s website. Simply go to the website and find the “Visit Us” or “Information Session” page. That way you can make sure you find the best community colleges with the programs and resources you need.
Once you’ve figured out where to enroll, you can find its online application.
Read Also: Average Size Of A Dorm Room
Request Letters Of Recommendation
Many colleges require one to two letters of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, coach, or employer who knows you well. As early as the end of your junior year, you should unofficially notify teachers or counselors of upcoming requests to give them sufficient time to write a thoughtful personalized letter during the summer.
Once you have completed your portion of the online application, send an official request through the application portals and check whether your recommenders have submitted their letters two to three weeks before the deadline.
Show Proof Of Immunization
Some states require that community colleges ask for immunization records for all full-time students taking twelve or more credits to ensure they have been vaccinated against specific diseases. You may be asked to show immunization for the following, but get in touch with your college to see what exactly they require from you.
- Covid
- Tdap
- Three doses of Hepatitis B
- Two doses of MMR
- Two doses of varicella
Don’t Miss: Cheapest Colleges In Maryland Out Of State
Looking For More Info Discover More Helpful Articles At Collegefinancecom
Researching schools, applying to college, taking placement tests and selecting courses can be an exhausting process. Its also one that can lead to your dreams. Regardless of whether you want to open your own business, become a medical sonographer or be the first in your family to graduate, community college can provide you with the higher education you need.
Knowing what others have done to plan and fund their education with financial aid and student loans can help you make informed decisions about your education. At CollegeFinance.com, were dedicated to helping people like you have access to the necessary resources to plan for this next step.
How To Teach At Community College
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 18,698 times.Learn more…
Teaching at a community college can be a great choice for academics or industry professionals who want to help grow the next generation in their field. Finding a teaching position at a community college isnt as simple as applying, though. You need an advanced degree, teaching experience, and a glowing interview to get the job. Most importantly, you need to be passionate about teaching, not just settling until you get a research job. Community colleges put teaching first, and they expect the same from anyone they hire.
Also Check: Sell Your School Books
To Minimize The Financial Burden
I’ve mentioned a few times that community colleges tend to be less expensive than 4-year colleges. Exactly how much less expensive are they?
According to the National Center for Education, the average community college cost for a year was $9,574 in 2013. While this is a significant sum, it’s less than half of the average for 4-year schools of $23,872.
In addition to saving money on tuition, community college students are eligible for financial aid, including federal grants, federal loans, state aid, and institutional aid. Plus they may be able to choose evening, weekend, or online classes that allow for a part-time or full-time job.
Students considered “in-state residents” get in-state tuition, which is why most community college students choose schools close to home . If they transfer to a state school through an articulation agreement, then they further save money with in-state tuition. Ultimately, their diploma comes from the institution from which they graduated, same as any student who attended for four straight years.
Now that we’ve gone over the main reasons that students attend community college, let’s go over how you can apply!
Do as the Atlantic puffins do. Take things one step at a time.
Transferring From Community College To A 4
Grace Chentransfer to the universityStep 1: Befriend your academic counselorStep 2: Evaluate what four-year institution you want to attendconduct research ahead of timeStep 3: Understand what the transfer program entails
- General education classes such as English, Math, History, etc. These are the courses that every student must take, regardless of major.
- Lower-division electives These classes may pertain to your major or focus, or they may be general electives that fulfill institutional requirements, such as a language or cultural class.
- Classes that are related to your major You should also take classes that will prepare you for your major once you transfer to a four-year institution. This not only cements your interest in your major but also demonstrates to the university that you are serious about your interests, as well as have an ability to succeed in the subject matter.
Step 4: Review articulation agreements between four-year institutions and your community college
Recommended Reading: Cheap University In Maryland
Send A Complete Application Packet So As To Not Delay Your Acceptance
While admissions requirements vary by institution, the community college system is fairly standard with the requirement of a recent high school transcript for high school seniors or a proof of graduation in the form of a diploma or final high school transcript for those applicants already out of high school. Students that submit a complete application for admission will likely hear of their acceptance within two weeks of submission.
How To Apply For Community College: 9
Did you know that almost half of all undergrads in the U.S. go to community college? In fact, there are 1,100 community colleges nationwide, and they enroll 13 million students!
If you’re looking to make that 13 million and one, read on to learn how to apply for community college: from deciding where to apply to enrolling in classes. Before getting the ball rolling, let’s review what community colleges offer their students and some good reasons to apply.
Recommended Reading: Ashworth College Pharmacy Tech
Youre Our First Priorityevery Time
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence which products we review and write about , but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. Here is a list of our partners.
Transferring Without An Articulation Agreement
Transferring from community college to a four-year school with an articulation agreement in place is pretty risk-free as long as you know the matriculation requirements . Transferring to a four-year institution without an articulation agreement, however, is much riskier.
This is for a couple of reasons the first is that the transfer process is extremely difficult, especially if you have your eye on a top 40 college. There are only a small number of transfer spots each year, and your application will be considered against other students transferring from community colleges as well as students transferring from one four-year school to another. Acceptance rates for transfers are, for the most part, lower than regular acceptance rates.
Even if you arent looking at a top 40 school, transferring can still be difficult. For instance, transfers looking at flagship public colleges can expect acceptance rates to be around 10%. If you dont have an articulation agreement, you should aim for a higher GPA than that expected for students with articulation agreements, no matter where you hope to transfer. You should also try to get involved in your community college like you did in high school to help your application stand out.
You May Like: Do College Credits Expire After 10 Years
Bridging Programs For Internationally Trained Immigrants
Programs of varying length that bridge the gap between prior training and experience in a specific occupation and the requirements of the Canadian workplace. Bridging programs are offered for regulated as well as non-regulated occupations through colleges, universities and community agencies. To learn more, visit the Bridging Training Programs page on the Ontario Immigration website.
How To Transfer From A Community College
Attending a community college before transferring to a four-year university can be a great option for students. It allows them to save money and even increase their chances of admission at four-year universities . However, the transfer from a community college seems a bit daunting to students at first. To help ease the process, weve compiled a list of tips on transferring.
Keep on reading to find out about common transfer admission requirements, our tips on transferring from a community college, and what you should do after you accept an admission offer!
Don’t Miss: How To Get Noticed By College Scouts
How To Enroll In Community College
-
Compare schools. Community colleges can have different tuition costs for in-district students, in-state students and out-of-state students. Youll typically pay the lowest tuition if you attend an in-district community college, but its still a good idea to research and compare a few different options. Use the Department of Educations College Scorecard to compare schools graduation rates, average yearly cost and salaries after students leave.