Two-year colleges offer many benefits to students, including affordability and convenience.

The traditional four-year college experience isn't for everyone. Some students aren't sure what they want to study, while others are looking for a more affordable education. Many students study for two years at community college before transferring to a four-year college, saving significant money on tuition. Plus, students interested in some fields can expect to earn more than $50.000 with an associate degree, and community colleges afford job training and certificates that can be valuable. If you're considering attending a community college, or if you're curious about the benefits, check out the following reasons why attending one might be a good decision.

1. Money

Paying for college is a big consideration, and the average cost of annual tuition and fees at four-year institutions in the 2018-2019 school year was $35,676 at private colleges, $9,716 for state residents at public colleges and $21,629 for out-of-state students at state schools, according to U.S. News data. As the national student debt tops $1.5 trillion, the rising cost of tuition can lead to significant student loans. In contrast, community colleges charge about $3,660 on average per year for in-state students, according to the 2018 Trends in College Pricing report released by the College Board. According to the report, many states are adopting free community college programs like the Tennessee Promise program, which provides funding for students to fill the gap between Pell Grants and other grant aid for high school graduates who meet certain requirements.

2. Academic flexibility

Attending a community college can be a good way for students to ease into the world of higher education and learn at their own pace. This is especially true for students who struggled in high school or anyone who's unsure if they want to make the significant time and money investment in college, experts say.

3. Financial aid

Financial aid isn't only for four-year college students – community college students are eligible as well. Federal student loans require students to be enrolled half time – about six credit hours, or two courses. Students just need to make sure they don't drop out of classes or they'll risk losing their aid award.

4. School-life balance

About 60 percent of community college students attend school part-time, so anyone interested in taking one or two classes at a time will not feel out of place. This makes community college a good option for nontraditional students like parents and older students who wish to balance school with family or career obligations.

5. STEM education opportunities

Community colleges have associate degree programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These so-called STEM subjects are in demand by employers, and some community colleges are supporting these students as they work their way up to a career, experts say.

6. Transfer agreements

Enrolling in a community college doesn't have to be a student's final destination. Many two-year schools offer admissions agreements with public colleges that allow qualified students to transfer their credits toward earning a bachelor's degree. According to National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data, 29% of community college students who started in fall of 2011 transferred to a four-year institution within six years.

7. Elements of traditional college

Two-year colleges haven't always provided the same student experience as four-year schools, but that is changing. Over one-quarter of community colleges now offer dorms, , according to a 2016 report from the American Association of Community Colleges. And it's possible to find extracurricular activities, scholarships and networking activities on two-year campuses.

8. Personalized attention

Many community colleges offer smaller class sizes than larger schools, meaning students can find more personal attention and one-on-one time with instructors. This can be a plus for students who like to learn at their own pace and ask plenty of questions as they go.

9. Professional certificates

Career progress is often tied to advanced degrees and skill development, usually through costly graduate school programs. But community colleges provide professional and short-term certificates in many fields, including information technology and electronics. In 2016-2017, community colleges conferred 549,149 certificates, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.

10. Online class options

As is the case with four-year universities, certain community colleges have expanded online offerings to entice more students. This includes training professors to be available at odd hours and tailoring programs to fit regional industry needs. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that two-thirds of community college students were enrolled in online classes in fall 2017. These credits can potentially be used toward a four-year degree.

 Y

Students in the United States are graduating from high school and completing college at the highest rates in decades. On the surface, these growing education levels seem to offer reason to celebrate. But a closer look reveals a widening income and employment gap between high school graduates and their peers who pursue and complete postsecondary education.

The national high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of 83.2 percent for the Class of 2015. But, if those graduates decide not to continue their education beyond high school, they can expect to earn about half of what their college-educated peers will earn annually. In 2016, adults ages 25 years and older with just a high school diploma earned an average of $35,615 per year, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By contrast, individuals with a bachelor’s degree averaged $65,482 that year and those with an advanced degree averaged $92,525 per year. (Among individuals 25 years old and older, more than one-third now have a bachelor’s degree or higher. That’s the highest percentage since the U.S. Census Bureau began tracking educational attainment data in 1940.)

This growing income gap reflects fundamental structural changes in the U.S economy. Since the second half of the twentieth century, job creation in the United States has shifted toward industries—such as healthcare, consulting, and business—that employ a high share of workers with postsecondary education. At the same time, the economy has moved away from production industries that historically employed workers with lower levels of educational attainment (construction and manufacturing), according to a report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW). Essentially, the nation has shifted from an economy driven primarily by high school–educated labor to one in which almost two in three jobs require some form of postsecondary education or training, says the CEW. Consequently, fewer new jobs are being created for workers with only a high school diploma. Of the 11.6 million jobs created since the Great Recession, 99 percent have gone to workers with at least some postsecondary education, according to the CEW.

Furthermore, many employers want workers with more education. In a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 37 percent of employers said they now hire employees with college degrees for jobs they once filled with applicants who had only a high school diploma, The 74 reports. Among these “noncollege jobs,” college graduates also are more likely than high school graduates to receive higher-paying positions and positions in management and supervisory roles, according to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The problem, many employers say, is that high school graduates simply aren’t prepared sufficiently to enter the workforce directly after high school. “I wouldn’t assume that more high school diplomas awarded equals a more career-ready workforce,” says Jason Tyszko, executive director of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Education and the Workforce, in The 74. “The opaqueness of those credentials—a high school diploma or even, frankly, a bachelor’s degree—is causing a lot of consternation in the business community. There just isn’t a lot of confidence in what somebody knows or is able to do, or if they’re able to perform the job.”

In a survey conducted by Achieve, 82 percent of employers reported that recent high school graduates had at least some gaps in preparation for typical jobs in their companies (including 48 percent of employers who reported large gaps in preparation). Furthermore, 61 percent of employers said they request or require high school graduates to get additional education or training to make up for gaps in their ability to read, write, or do mathematics.

Moreover, while employers increasingly look for workers with some form of postsecondary education or training, institutions of higher education are not meeting that demand. By 2020, the U.S. economy will fall 5 million short of the number of workers with postsecondary degrees needed, according to another report from CEW.

One obvious solution is for the nation to address the persistent gaps in college attainment rates among young people of color and those from low-income families. While the percentage of young adults of color earning at least an associate’s degree has increased during the past twenty years, the attainment gap between whites and African Americans still is 15 percentage points, while the gap between whites and Latinos is 30 percentage  points. 

Similarly, among 25- to 34-year-olds, 72 percent of those from affluent backgrounds have earned a postsecondary degree or certificate, while just 35 percent of those from low-income families have done so, according to a report released last year as part of the GradNation campaign.

A high school diploma alone no longer guarantees a stable career and middle-class income. In fact, individuals who choose not to pursue postsecondary education or training now find themselves locked out of positions that high school graduates once dominated. As demand for college-educated workers continues to rise, the nation must increase opportunities for students to pursue postsecondary education and training to ensure all young people have a chance at career and life success. by https://all4ed.org/