Any of your kids live at home and commute to college?

[DawnM]

One thing that I've noticed, and this is purely anecdotal, but it seems like people in the Northeast are more inclined to look at CC as a "lesser" option. Maybe because there are just so many colleges in the Northeast, I don't know. But here in NC, it's just considered one decent option out of many. Also, it seems like in the South, students are more likely to stay in their home state, if not their home town, for college. When I mention my DD's studying in Boston, people think I sound so exotic. Back in NH, nobody would bat an eye at attending college in Boston. I thought Boston's reputation as being a big college town was well-known, but maybe not.

I don't think that is just the South. When I lived in California this was very true. Most people who grew up in CA stayed in CA for college. There are great schools there though and we were thrilled that my kids would have the options there that they had. Here there aren't as many options. Now, I realize the entire state of NC only has half the population of the Los Angeles metro area, but still....

So far my son has discussed a school in GA, a school in VA, and schools in NC. The schools in GA and VA are private, so it doesn't matter if you are in state or not.

We are going to tour the local 4 year school in 2 weeks.

 

[DawnM]

I didn't go to what most people think of as a "commuter school", although there was a sizable percentage of students who lived at home with their families. Still - with an undergraduate population of over 25,000, even 10% of those those students driving to school made things difficult when there were maybe 1000 available student parking spaces and a city with lots of meters and designated residential parking (2 hours w/o a residential permit).

I've visited commuter schools. They were typically built on the outskirts of town or with lots and lots of garages and parking lots. The community college where I took one class had a huge three level parking lot.

The CC in the city is horrible for parking. My son takes the bus up.

They are extending the train to go up to the 4 year school. There are busses on campus that go from one area of the campus to the other. If my second son goes there, we may be encouraging him to take the train in, esp. if the parking is really bad, which I think it is.

 

[punkin]

Of course they are - that was exactly my point! I was responding to a poster who said it seemed like people in the NE feel that community college education is less that a 4 year option. Of course it is, anyone can attend.

Exclusivity is not a measure of a good education.

 

[clori]

The Early College program offered here has nothing extra at all--no sports, no prom, no yearbook, etc.

Wow this is different than how our early college runs. Here kids in early college take their classes at a local community college for free (including books) but are still considered high school students. My dd plans to take the next 2 years doing her classes at the college. Depending on her schedule she can still go to high school and hang out before school, go have lunch in the school cafeteria and use her school account to pay etc. She can't work on yearbook because that is a class but she can participate in any extra curricular she wants such as key club. She will continue to be a member of her high school figure skating team. We have a senior prom here but when it is time dd can attend prom just like all of the other seniors as well as attending any senior activities and will graduate with her class. Basically other than taking her classes outside of the high school she is still a high school student.

 

[DawnM]

Wow this is different than how our early college runs. Here kids in early college take their classes at a local community college for free (including books) but are still considered high school students. My dd plans to take the next 2 years doing her classes at the college. Depending on her schedule she can still go to high school and hang out before school, go have lunch in the school cafeteria and use her school account to pay etc. She can't work on yearbook because that is a class but she can participate in any extra curricular she wants such as key club. She will continue to be a member of her high school figure skating team. We have a senior prom here but when it is time dd can attend prom just like all of the other seniors as well as attending any senior activities and will graduate with her class. Basically other than taking her classes outside of the high school she is still a high school student.

Even here (NC) it depends on the program. There are a few, I am more familiar with two of them, but even those are dependent on your home assigned school and how they choose to do it.

 

[bcla]

Of course they are - that was exactly my point! I was responding to a poster who said it seemed like people in the NE feel that community college education is less that a 4 year option. Of course it is, anyone can attend.

Nobody particularly cares once someone gets a bachelors degree after CC. Its rare that the CC is going to carry much prestige. Because of the way our higher education system is set up in my state, I believe something like 40% of the bachelors degrees awarded at my alma mater go to CC transfers.

There was even talk of possibly converting to an upper division only undergraduate school in order to award more degrees without having to expand. It would have made things interesting, as applicants with acceptance from other four year schools would have had to decide whether or not to take that over maybe going to a CC and then gain acceptance as a transfer. The transfer system is biased towards CC transfers, and few transfers from other four year schools happen. So someone intent on getting into UC Berkeley would need to speculate on the chances of that happening two years down the line, as well as how to do it.

 

[CristFamily]

PER SEMESTER?

Sorry per year. This is all new to me. Our CC will cost him about $12,500 for the 2 1/2 years he is going there. Again a lot better than $20-30,000 per year for a state school near me.

 

[DawnM]

Sorry per year. This is all new to me. Our CC will cost him about $12,500 for the 2 1/2 years he is going there. Again a lot better than $20-30,000 per year for a state school near me.

Ok, that makes more sense.

Our CC is running us about $100 per class, although right now it is only running about $30 per class since DS is still considered a HS student and getting free tuition.

 

[roseaster]

Nobody particularly cares once someone gets a bachelors degree after CC. Its rare that the CC is going to carry much prestige. Because of the way our higher education system is set up in my state, I believe something like 40% of the bachelors degrees awarded at my alma mater go to CC transfers.

There was even talk of possibly converting to an upper division only undergraduate school in order to award more degrees without having to expand. It would have made things interesting, as applicants with acceptance from other four year schools would have had to decide whether or not to take that over maybe going to a CC and then gain acceptance as a transfer. The transfer system is biased towards CC transfers, and few transfers from other four year schools happen. So someone intent on getting into UC Berkeley would need to speculate on the chances of that happening two years down the line, as well as how to do it.

Exactly. On your resume is says you have your degree from XYZ University. I don't think very many employers care, or would even know, if you took your 101 and 102 courses at community college.

Around here all the community colleges are designed to transfer into almost every, single 4 year university in he area, and there are quite a few.

Community college is a great option for people who have budget concerns or who are tying to minimize the amount of loans they will have to pay upon graduation.

So many young people are graduating now in massive amounts of debt.

 

[bcla]

Exactly. On your resume is says you have your degree from XYZ University. I don't think very many employers care, or would even know, if you took your 101 and 102 courses at community college.

Around here all the community colleges are designed to transfer into almost every, single 4 year university in he area, and there are quite a few.

Community college is a great option for people who have budget concerns or who are tying to minimize the amount of loans they will have to pay upon graduation.

So many young people are graduating now in massive amounts of debt.

Well, as a state resident, my first year at UC Berkeley was around $1300. It did rise to about $5000 by my senior year. I understand that before the 1980s it was practically free. The big cost would have been housing, which I had covered.

 

[roseaster]

Well, as a state resident, my first year at UC Berkeley was around $1300. It did rise to about $5000 by my senior year. I understand that before the 1980s it was practically free. The big cost would have been housing, which I had covered.

...and this was what year?

My daughters will be going to a state school. One will live on campus at about $27,000 a year, the other will live at home and commute at about $16,000 a year.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

No. There continues to be quite a bit of snobbery from some people about community colleges. Many offer great educations, and the general courses are the same wherever you go. English comp is English comp. In addition to being 1/3 of the price, all of the credits from community colleges easily transfer to 4 year institutions.

Here are a few things I think. 1) if you have a child that is undecided about what they want to do CC is a great option for getting that routine coursework out of the way and letting them dabble in different things to find out their interest.

2) Cost factor, The costs of college have skyrocketed. So many young people are graduating 100s of 1000s of dollars in debt and can't find jobs that pay enough to allow them to repay their loans and live independently.

Personally, if money and loans were an issue, I would prefer my child live at home in their late teens to early 20s and be able to embark on a debt free, or at least not overwhelming debt, life as a young adult.

I've seen a lot of kids take out loans for $60K a year colleges and graduate and can only get jobs paying $10-$15 and hour.

I know people that are now leaving college with $120,000 in debt and they had some form of scholarship. If a person goes on to graduate school they will leave with around $245,000 in debt.

I have some friends that are college professors and they said English Comp is English Comp, it doesn't matter what college you took it at, one is not more difficult than the other.

It is true you do not need the ACT or SAT to get into CC; however, you do have to take the Pert or some other entrance exam. Also, universities are known to give waivers for some students that didn't score well on the ACT/SAT.

 

[bcla]

...and this was what year?

My daughters will be going to a state school. One will live on campus at about $27,000 a year, the other will live at home and commute at about $16,000 a year.

Late 80s. The price kept on going up to make up for the shortfall of state funding. I remember it used to be about a quarter state, a quarter from the endowment, a quarter federal funding, and then less than a quarter from fees/tuition. Not bad, especially with a well known university such as UC Berkeley or UCLA. All the UC campuses had about the same cost. Anyone considered out of state paid a lot more. The California master plan for higher education set out a goal that the UCs should serve the top eighth of graduating seniors, the CSU system the top third, and the community college system everyone. I looked at the fees for a CSU campus, and they were lower.

Also, in state costs were called "fees". Out of state students were charged "tuition", which I believe was in the $15,000 a year range back then. Now they don't make that distinction and call it tuition for all students.

Things also got a little strange when the University of California moved to admit more out of state students and abandon the preference in the state master plan for in state students. The rationale was that out of state students paid more, which would help with the budget shortfalls. Not only that, but apparently the standards were lower, which was never the case. Before then, a small proportion of undergraduate students were from out of state, although there were preferential admissions including athletes and children of famous people. It wasn't quite like private schools, but I recall Bill Cosby's kid got admission, as well as the eventual crown prince of Norway.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-audit-admissions-20160328-story.html
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/apr/04/uc-san-diego-saw-sharpest-increase-out-state-stude/
http://www.sfgate.com/education/article/Audit-shows-UC-admission-standards-relaxed-for-7215364.php

 

[jbcheerchick93]

Interestingly about CC's, I've been applying for jobs all summer and I am going into Higher Education as a field. A majority of the applications have been asking for "any and all schools attended for classes that went toward obtaining your degree" and a few have even asked for a copy of my transcript, which clearly states which classes were taking at my 4 year school, what transferred from HS, and what classes I took over the summer at the CC. Not saying that it would make a difference either way since I truly have no idea, but they are really pushing to know if you attended "X University" and made it out in the 4 years.

Just some food for thought

 

[star72232]

My kids aren't there yet (oldest is only 11), but I'm hoping most/all of them choose to live at home at least for a couple of years. With 4 kids costs will be high (even in Canada, although nothing like in the states). We have 4 universities and multiple colleges within commuting distance.

 

[bcla]

Interestingly about CC's, I've been applying for jobs all summer and I am going into Higher Education as a field. A majority of the applications have been asking for "any and all schools attended for classes that went toward obtaining your degree" and a few have even asked for a copy of my transcript, which clearly states which classes were taking at my 4 year school, what transferred from HS, and what classes I took over the summer at the CC. Not saying that it would make a difference either way since I truly have no idea, but they are really pushing to know if you attended "X University" and made it out in the 4 years.

Just some food for thought

I haven't seen quite anything like that. When I was applying for jobs, I'd typically leave my high school out, although occasionally I felt like including it. I had one community college class, and I looked into finding out if I could get a transcript, and it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. It wasn't applied towards any degree I received so I typically leave it out.

 

[roseaster]

My kids aren't there yet (oldest is only 11), but I'm hoping most/all of them choose to live at home at least for a couple of years. With 4 kids costs will be high (even in Canada, although nothing like in the states). We have 4 universities and multiple colleges within commuting distance.

I've got 6. I sincerely hope so, too. The oldest 2 have a different bio father, and the child support is generous, so we are able to make it work that the 1 who wanted to live away will, but the next 3 are in fairly rapid succession. (13, 11, 10) It will be tough to pay for them all to be away.

I haven't seen quite anything like that. When I was applying for jobs, I'd typically leave my high school out, although occasionally I felt like including it. I had one community college class, and I looked into finding out if I could get a transcript, and it seemed like more trouble than it was worth. It wasn't applied towards any degree I received so I typically leave it out.

I'm a nurse, so it is different for me. My initial degree and licensure is through a community college, so they have to be listed.

I'm not sure that that is necessary for other fields, though. For nurses they want to assure that you were licensed through an NLN approved nursing program.

 

[lovin'fl]

Late to this thread, but my DS goes to CC and lives at home...well sorta. We have home in MD and condo in NC. DH works in NC. DS chose to go to CC in NC and lives in condo where DH is halftime. It works nicely and is very inexpensive and he isn't a stellar student (bright but lazy) so we don't want to throw money away. I think he finally figured out what he wants to do and is going for an AA degree.

 

[DawnM]

...and this was what year?

My daughters will be going to a state school. One will live on campus at about $27,000 a year, the other will live at home and commute at about $16,000 a year.

Berkeley is still only about $13,500 for tuition for the year. CA state schools are very reasonable.

But I am surprised as most NC schools are even cheaper than that.

 

[DawnM]

Interestingly about CC's, I've been applying for jobs all summer and I am going into Higher Education as a field. A majority of the applications have been asking for "any and all schools attended for classes that went toward obtaining your degree" and a few have even asked for a copy of my transcript, which clearly states which classes were taking at my 4 year school, what transferred from HS, and what classes I took over the summer at the CC. Not saying that it would make a difference either way since I truly have no idea, but they are really pushing to know if you attended "X University" and made it out in the 4 years.

Just some food for thought

It still doesn't matter. They just want to see your transcripts and make sure you have taken the classes necessary. I highly doubt they care if you took English 101 at Stanford or your local CC.

I had to do the same thing to get my credentials but they didn't really care where they were from, other than they wanted to make sure I had the necessary classes from accredited colleges.

Heck, when I needed 6 more English classes after my BA and while I was getting my MA, I was told by my private University that since they were undergrad classes, if I could take them at the CC next door, I would save a lot of money.

So, as a graduate student, I went next door and took 4 of them that were offered there at the community college!