Community colleges should offer bachelorʼs degrees

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Due to the number of people living in California without a bachelor’s degree, ranking the state 14th in its share of people aged 25-34 with B.A. degrees, it’s time that California Community College officials take matters into their own hands by offering bachelor’s degrees at local community colleges.

Discussions to include B.A. degrees began on August 22, 2013 at a conference call where California Community College Chancellor Brice W. Harris appointed a study group to review aspects of a bachelor‘s program at the community college level.

The document made its way to Governor Jerry Brown where he signed legislation on September 28, 2014, allowing California Community Colleges to award

29 percent of UC and CSU students transferred from community colleges bachelor’s degrees not currently served by UC or CSU schools.

It is planned to be in 15 college districts by no later than the 20172018 academic year.

Offering four year degrees at local community colleges would give students a cheaper alternative to universities while getting the same quality education, further preparing individuals for the workforce.

According to the California Community College chancellor’s website, 29 percent of UC and CSU students started at the community college level.

As a result, California has the opportunity to take an idea already used in 21 states and offer a four year education. If Community colleges were to offer B.A. degrees, it would help

Flydoskope by Tobennh Dacanay

Average UCLA tuition: $33,000 per year

Average USC tuition: $65,000 per year local students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford out-ofstate tuition or a university that was close to home.

The cost of a USC education, a private institution, is just shy of $65,000 for a full year while UCLA, a public university charges about $33,000, according to their respective websites.

California community college students pay significantly less as the average revenue needed to support one full-time college student is slightly more than $5,000 per year, making the community college route a smarter option.

A cheaper education can also improve college graduation rates as some students may be willing to spend the time in school if they don’t feel like they are drowning

-COMIC STRIP-

Average community college tuition: $5,000 per year in debt, giving them a fair chance to succeed and pursue other opportunities. By 2025, California’s demand for college-educated workers will outstrip the supply, according to the chancellor’s website. tlanimator@gmail.com

It is imperative that the students of today are prepared for the future of tomorrow as the associate’s degree will soon be the equivalent to that of a high school, making the bachelor’s degree a necessity. California community colleges should offer a B.A. degree because it will give students a chance that they might not have had before. It will give students another opportunity to grow, to better themselves and ensure a brighter future.