Community college could be a smart choice

Things to keep in mind about community college

Community college can save you money on your way to a four year degree – if you remember these three things.

1. If you're taking pre-college courses, it’s not college.Some community college courses are designed for students who aren't academically ready for college. You may need to take some college preparatory courses, but they won't count towards your college degree. And you could take these courses online rather than at a community college.
2. You can't just take any course that sounds interesting and assume it will count towards college.You need to take the courses that other colleges will accept as fulfilling their requirements.
3. This is the trickiest part: Find out which courses you can transfer to four year schools.Many state universities will accept some courses from community colleges in their state. Some nearby private colleges also have agreements with community colleges to accept some course credits. You can find this out from a counselor at your local community college and sometimes, from a state or community college website.

To sum it all up, living at home and going to a community college for a full year or two can be a very cost-effective way to get an education. But remember, you have to take college level courses: ones that will be accepted by a school you are planning to transfer to. If you can do that, you can get a good education, graduate from a great school, and keep your borrowing way down so you can save that money for something you really want to spend it on.