Become Educated About Community College How to have the true college experience without drowning in debt

Make an Educated Choice About Community College

In high school, I remember the college and career counselor would constantly promote community scholarships and government grants. My dream was to attend a private college in Lakeland. My anxiety hit the ceiling when I researched the yearly costs of tuition, room and board, food plans, and textbooks. I sat in my guidance counselor’s office in tears questioning if college was worth the money. We spent an hour searching for scholarships that would make a dent in the expenses.

I applied for more than 40 scholarships, from the Short People of America Scholarship to the Brown Eyes Scholarship. People would ask why I never received the Bright Futures scholarship. I had the worst testing anxiety, especially when it came to the ACT and SAT testing, and it was not until my sophomore year of college that I learned how to cope with it.

I had two options for college: go into a massive amount of debt and spend my whole adulthood paying it off, or attend my local community college for the first two years. I was torn between the two. I wanted the college experience of living in dorms and being on my own. My dad convinced me to think twice about the first option, and I decided to swallow my pride and enroll at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Tampa.

This was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Because of my community college, experience I met my now best friends, saved a significant amount of money, interned with the magazine FOCUS, and built my resume through extracurricular activities that have given me numerous life skills. And, most importantly, if I had left my hometown, I never would have met my husband.

During my second year at HCC, I planned and taught a leadership course for my colleagues. Along with three other women, I spent my summer creating lesson plans about personal and group leadership. I learned a lot about myself and improved my time management skills and working with a team. We also attended two leadership conferences in the fall and summer. One was at Walt Disney World and the other at Universal Orlando, and they were completely free. I networked with students from other colleges and learned so much from the speakers. I still have my notes to this day!

Another club I was involved with was the Student Government Association (SGA). I was a senator for only one semester but enjoyed it so much. I helped with planning events and bonded with my colleagues. Our SGA offered free events, food, and trips to the students. I remember going to Mickey’s Merry Christmas Party in Disney, horseback riding in Ocala, and dropping down the volcano at Volcano Bay at Universal. We even saw Rent and the Phantom of the Opera in Tampa. The best part was that I did not have to spend a dime.

One Christmas, I met with some high school friends who were home from their major universities, and all agreed that my tiny community college offered so much more than their schools did. One of the best parts was being on a small campus, which led to my learning everyone’s names and building a family.

My friend Diocelina Arellano finished her associate’s degree in one year and does not regret attending HCC. “It was the best decision I could have ever made,” said Arellano. “I was able to take the same core classes as those who were in four-year universities, but I paid a lot less for those classes.”

Like me, Arellano did not originally want to attend HCC; she wanted to go to Stetson University. “As the acceptance letters started to arrive, I started taking the financial aspect seriously,” said Arellano. “I earned decent scholarships, but I still needed to pay a larger portion out of pocket if I went to Stetson.”

HCC offers payment plans for students who may not have all the money at once or do not want to take out loans. Arellano had her first semester of college covered through scholarships, and then took on two part time jobs to completely pay off her first two years of college. “Other than the financial gain, I was also able to network a lot with my professors and peers,” said Arellano. “The success center was always open, and I was able to get tutored for math without any time restrictions.”

Another colleague, Casey Barnes, decided to attend HCC for the financial benefits, but little did she know there were more reasons why it was a better option for her than a four-year university.

“After starting my first semester of college, I found out I needed jaw surgery,” said Barnes. “If I had gone to the four-year university as planned, I would have had to take the semester off.

Besides the major costs of a university, Barnes would not have been able to afford her missions trip overseas for the summer if she did not go to HCC.

“I really wanted to go to a private college like my friends,” said Barnes. “But after some time at HCC, I do not regret my decision at all.”

Everyone has their own story for why they decided to take the community college route. Arellano ended up transferring to the University of South Florida (USF) after she graduated from HCC and got to be close to her family and friends. I was planning on going to USF as well, but after doing research, I realized Florida Gulf Coast University had the program I wanted for journalism.

My only regret is not enrolling in dual enrollment during high school. This option was available for me to take free college courses at HCC while still in high school. It has saved my friends a lot of money, including those who decided to go straight to a university.

College is very expensive, and it is common for students and parents to take out loans and go deeply into debt. According to www.Credit.com, the average student leaves a four-year college with $32,731 in loans. Some 6% of these borrowers have more than $100,000 in student debt, according to www.brookings. edu. Compare this to the average debt of $13,606 for students graduating from community college in 2020, according to www. communitycollegereview.com.

More ways to save

1) Rent your textbooks. My first semester I spent hundreds of dollars on textbooks. After I discovered renting books through Amazon and Chegg, I spent less than $100 on books for four classes.

2) Take advantage of campus activities. No matter where you go to school, there are always free events happening, where you can often score free food and stuff for your dorm. One of my friends won a mini fridge from a bingo night at my school.

3) Work a part-time job. Get some experience working with a team and communicating. Future employers and internships will like that you have work experience, even if it is at a retail store.

4) Save your money now. If I could go back in time, I would stop myself from spending so much from my high school job and save it for college. I took out loans for school, and I just recently started saving money. Your future self will thank you!

Advice from an Expert

Amanda Sterk, Ph.D., head of Florida Southwestern State College’s (FSW) Dual Enrollment department, shared her thoughts on attending community college.

Students at Florida Southwestern State College’s (FSW) are taking the same courses for their first two years as students at every other college. Each of those courses has the same course number no matter where you attend in the United States. For example, if you were to take English Composition 1 at FSW, it would transfer as credit for Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). It really does not matter where you earn that credit, because it will transfer anywhere.

FSW has a 2 Plus 2 Partnership with FGCU. Many students will complete their associate’s degree at FSW and then go to FGCU. Other community colleges and four-year institutions in Florida have similar partnerships, including the University of Florida with Sante Fe Community College and University of South Florida with Hillsborough Community College.

The University of Florida (UF) receives 40,000 applications every year. If a student is not accepted at UF (or any other four-year university) as a high school senior, they can start off at a community college. When they later apply as a transfer student, universities do not look at test scores or grade point averages from high school. They only look at how well a student did at the community college.

I encourage students to take the community college route. They can use the extra money they save for a car, housing, or to get out of debt completely. This is a second chance for many students. If they did not do well in high school or did not get accepted in their dream schools, there is still a chance for them to graduate with their bachelor’s degree where they originally wanted. Plus, there usually are more scholarship opportunities after transferring.

Immokalee Seniors Use Summer to Virtually Prepare for College

The summer before their senior year of high school is usually when students get serious about college planning. By June or July, they will have ACT or SAT scores in hand and begin touring college campuses to find the right fit – financially, socially, and academically.

For the class of 2021, though, this summer was different. Spring test dates were postponed, so many students don’t have any qualifying test scores to report on college applications. College campuses are closed, so tours were canceled. Admissions officers and counselors are harder to reach because they are working remotely.

Despite the challenges, rising high school seniors in Guadalupe Center’s Tutor Corps Program continue to prepare for August 2021, the date when they will start college.

Normally, Tutor Corps students would have opportunities to participate in one- to six-week pre-college experiences at universities across the country through the E.G. Salisbury Tutor Corps Summer Academy, a program funded by Guadalupe Center’s generous supporters. Instead, Guadalupe Center enrolled all 28 rising seniors in an online, general education course through Roberts Wesleyan College in New York.

Tutor Corps students are learning how to communicate professionally with professors and classmates over video calls, email, and messaging platforms. They are beginning to understand the academic expectations of college students and recognizing that the keys to success include initiative and self-motivation. And when the course is finished, each student will have three college credits on their transcript, which puts these first-generation college students one step closer to a college degree.

Beyond that, Guadalupe Center is providing an essay writing workshop over Zoom that offers assistance drafting essays required in college applications. Colleges receive thousands upon thousands

of applications from prospective students, with nearly every applicant possessing a strong GPA, academic accolades, and a lengthy list of leadership positions. What differentiates applications is the essay, so Tutor Corps students are learning writing tips and strategies to draft standout essays.

One of our volunteers is leading College 101 sessions that cover the basics of college life and lingo, like explaining the difference between liberal arts institutions and research universities, general education classes and courses required for a major, and two- and fouryear schools. Another summer session focuses on leadership, professionalism, and other traits necessary to succeed in college and beyond.

Guadalupe Center also is registering Tutor Corps students for virtual college fairs, where they can “visit” admissions officers to learn about degree programs, campus life, and scholarship opportunities.

This most unusual of summers may be working out in students’ favor. Instead of limiting their opportunities, the move to virtual everything is creating endless possibilities for students to learn and grow. They will be better prepared for their senior year at Immokalee High School and in a great position to transition to college. Higher education may look different when they arrive on campus – or in a virtual classroom – but Tutor Corps students will be prepared.

SHEILA OXX is director of the Tutor Corps Program at Guadalupe Center in Immokalee, a nonprofit organization with a mission of breaking the cycle of poverty through education for the children of Immokalee.