by Jamie Lund and Rashi Branche
As seniors prepare to say goodbye to high school, they also prepare for the next step in life. Senior Frankie Keith, for example, is choosing to attend J. Sargeant Reynolds in the fall while he works to make and save money. He has already determined that he’ll be saving thousands of dollars by staying home before transferring to a four year institution.
“It’s cheaper, and you basically get the same education for your first two years than you would in regular college,” Frankie said.
According to the School Counseling Department, more and more students are attending community college for two years right out of high school, instead of attending a four year university right away.
Director of School Counselng Meredith Holder said this is a reason as to why many students are attending to a community college first.
“I think that they are starting to realize financially that this is a good opportunity for them because it is significantly cheaper than going to a four year college or university,” Mrs. Holder said.
This trend has changed within the past 10 years. School Counselor Christina Naumann said she thinks community college can sometimes be the better route, but it all depends on the student.
“It means that it’s a cheaper way to get the general education classes out of the way before they choose an exact major and choose an exact college that they want to go to,” Ms. Naumann said.
English teacher Emily Stains is a supporter of community college because it can definitely help save money. She said attending a class at a four year college or university could cost thousands of dollars, while that same class at a community college would cost around 300 dollars.
“A lot of schools are not giving the financial aid that they used to be giving, so students might be getting into their first choice school but because of economic situations, they don’t have the money to give,” Ms. Stains said. “So a lot of students are going to community college to get their first two years under their belt.”
Senior Marie Byron said having the opportunity to save money while receiving college credit crossed her mind while she was trying to decide where to attend college.
“I thought about it, but I got a big enough scholarship so I didn’t have to worry about it,” Marie said.
Senior Erica Goode will be attending a community college next year and she said she decided on this because it will be better for her wallet.
“I plan to be a full-time student with a job on the side,” Erica said.
Frankie said he feels that attending a community college next year will be more of a convenience and give him time to make final decisions about his future.
“My counselor brought it up to me, and I thought it was a better idea so I could stay here for my first two years after getting out of high school,” Frankie said.
Ms. Naumann said attending community college allows students to have more time to consider what they want to do with their future.
“It can be a better option for students right out of high school because they may need time to mature and grow before they go off on their own,” Ms. Naumann said.
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