Financial Savings and Junior Colleges
As college students are increasingly faced with rising debt burdens, the opportunity to save several thousand dollars per semester should not be overlooked. junior colleges can begin to help students reap this kind of savings even before they leave high school. Although junior colleges are often considered of lesser academic quality than four year institutions, they still offer coursework that matches the exact same standards as provided during the first two years of a traditional university curriculum.
When evaluating junior colleges, it is important to keep in mind that almost all of them have passed the exact same accreditation standards that other universities must pass. This includes ensuring that the materials taught, and evaluation methods are comparable to those in other institutions teaching the same class. If they did not meet these criteria, students would not be able to obtain federal and state aid to cover education expenses.
Junior colleges also offer a number of other advantages. At the end of two years, you will either have a certificate that enables you to work in a specific field, or you will have an Associates Degree. Depending on the course of study you choose, you may be able to transfer all of the coursework you took into a four year curriculum at a traditional college. If the college you want to attend is nearby, the two schools might even have a transfer arrangement that guarantees you a place in the program you want, and at the three year level.
Among other things,junior colleges are often located right in the community where most of their students will come from. Since they want the opportunity to draw as many students as possible, some of their faculty will go into the highschools to teach college level courses. Typically, a highschool senior that takes Advance Placement math and english can start their first “real” college semester with eight credits. In addition, anyone who is going to college knows that athletic fees, insurances, and other charges can add hundreds of dollars onto the tuition bill. When highschool students take advance placement courses, all they pay for are the credit hours.
Most Americans realize that senior year is essentially time to have fun. Fortunately, most junior colleges have what is called a pre-admission program. Students that meet the maturity and academic criteria can obtain their highschool diplomas at the same time they are doing full college coursework. Considering the way tuition continues to skyrocket from one year to the next, highschool seniors may well want to start their college careers as soon as possible.
Many junior colleges have classes taught by professors that have only reached the master’s level. The faculty and staff in junior colleges are essentially focused on teaching, not research. On the other hand, university professors primarily engaged in pursuing research grants require an enormous amount of support staff, as well as a higher salary. This savings in a junior colleges staffing needs is often passed along to the students in the form of lower tuition.
Today, junior colleges can help students save a great deal of money. Even though these colleges may not offer the prestige of other universities, their lower overhead costs enable them to offer coursework at a much cheaper rate than other colleges. At the same time, junior colleges still offer the fundamental tools required to succeed at advanced academic levels. As part of their local communities, junior colleges also offer highschool seniors the opportunity to get started earlier on their college careers, and thus, help them achieve significant savings.
