Depending on where you live, you could easily get a four-year degree for about half the price that other students are paying. To do this, take advantage of your state’s community college program. To ease overcrowding in public colleges, many states will guarantee you a slot at a four-year school if you get your first two year’s of college in one of these programs.
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While you’re there, your tuition will only be a fraction of the cost of a year at a traditional college, and you’ll get the exact same education. Many of the same professors who teach at more prestigious universities teach on the side at community colleges for extra money. And, when you consider most community colleges have strict attendance policies compared to their four-year counterparts, you might even get more from the time you spend at one of these schools.
In addition to saving money, this is the perfect plan for the high-school student who didn’t earn the best grades at school or doesn’t feel ready to move away from home. The smaller, more intimate atmosphere found at a community college will allow the student to build their skills and their maturity level. By the time these two years are up, they’ll be ready to excel for their last two years. Best of all, your diploma will still state that you graduated from the four-year school. It won’t matter to any future employers that you decided to do the smart thing and graduate without sky-high balances on your student loans.
