A recent study by the City University of New York determined that many higher education students lose as much as a full semester of work when they transfer from a community college to a four-year university because the courses don’t transfer. The extra semester can add about $20,000 to the total cost of their matriculation through additional tuition, fees and textbooks. It also found that about half of all community college students never earn degrees.
To be sure, the overall experience varies from one institution to another, and fortunately, Rio Grande Valley colleges have taken steps to reduce the chance that credits might not transfer. South Texas College, Texas Southmost College and Texas State Technical College all have agreements with several universities to help ensure that their courses meet the requirements set by those entities, which range from state schools such as the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to elite Ivy League schools such as Harvard. Moreover, many community colleges now offer some baccalaureate degrees that reduce the need to attend a more expensive four-year university less necessary.
Of course, students who plan to begin their higher education studies at a community and transfer to a larger school still should research the requirements at their desired destinations so they can take the right courses to the best of their ability.
Many students can still benefit from starting at a community college. Most require many of the same core courses such as English, math and certain humanities courses, and often those transfer without problem. Students who take that option can save substantial amounts of money, especially if they stay at home and can avoid university housing costs and related fees. Those savings could more than offset the cost of taking extra university courses.
Students who are haven’t decided which degree to pursue can get the core courses out of the way while they are still making up their minds.
Community colleges also are valuable for students who must take remedial courses or feel the need to improve their knowledge of certain subjects before they take on more rigorous university courses. These days, that could apply to more students, as many fell behind in their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Problems are more likely to occur with regard to courses required for specific degree plans such as accounting or biology for medical students.
Courses that aren’t accepted for degree requirements aren’t always a total loss; often they are accepted as free electives that can help students meet the classroom hour requirements for their degrees.
Every student’s situation is unique. Those who plan to use the benefits that community colleges offer should still review the requirements set by the university they ultimately wish to attend and determine which courses do and don’t transfer. Institutions at both levels have advising offices that can help.
One report shouldn’t deter anyone from seeking an education that can make their future better. Rather, they should seek as much information as possible in order to make the decision that’s best for them.
That is, after all, what knowledge is all about.
