Four Year Colleges vs. Community Colleges Essay

Why does Breakthrough emphasize cardinal yr colleges and universities? Should Breakthrough programs crown bookmans to use community colleges as stepping stones toward bachs tips?Would community colleges be cheaper for bookmans? Does it matter where domesticate-age childs start their post auxiliary educations, as long as they goal up with unmarried mans degrees?It is true that once students throw their bachelors degrees, it makes little difference, in terms of catchings strength and job prospects, what path they took to get on that point. However, the likelihood of earning a bachelors degree is significantly reduced if a student starts her postsecondary education at a community college, and the amount of time it takes to manage a bachelors degree (and potentially, the amount of loans a student accrues) is greatly increased. Additionally, research shows that the kinds of students Breakthrough serveslowincome, minority, first generationargon slight seeming to transfer o f training from community colleges to quaternityyear colleges and earn bachelors degrees. Therefore, the research supports the fact that students are more likely to over(p) bachelors degrees if they start their post secondary educations at quadyear colleges or universities.Is community college more comprise-effective?Without compute in financial aid, the intermediate tuition and fees at community college is less than half of the average tuition and fees at a public fouryear institution and 1/10th of the tuition and fees at a private four year institution. According to the National Center for knowledge Statistics, the average annual tuition and fees in 200607 was $2,017 instate student attending a community college $5,685 goodtime, instate student at a public four year college or university $20,492 full time student at a private four year college and universityHowever, while the tuition and fees at community colleges are significantly less, without perspicacious a student s financial aid package at a four year institution, it is difficult to determine the relative cost effectiveness. Additionally, considering the amount of time it takes students who begin in community college to complete their bachelors degrees, it is unclear how much cost savings there is in the end.Does it take longer for students to complete bachelors degrees if they start at community colleges?On average, it takes students 12 years longer to complete bachelors degrees if they begin at community colleges than if they begin at fouryear colleges. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average time it takes to complete a bachelors degree is 71 months for students who begin at 2year colleges 55 months for students who begin at four year public colleges 50 months for students who begin at four year private collegesIs there a difference in the boodle of community college graduates and graduates of fouryear institutions?If community college students do manage to transfer quickly and graduate from fouryear colleges, there is little differentiate to show that there are significant earning differentials between students who start at community colleges and students who start at fouryear colleges (Kane and Rouse, 1995 Hilmer, 2000). The problem is that more community college students do not quickly transfer into four year colleges nor do they ultimately complete their bachelors degrees.For those individuals who start at community colleges and dont transfer tofouryear institutions, there are repercussions in terms of their pay potential. The average annual normal income for adults who view associates degrees is approximately $13,000 less per year than adults who have bachelors degrees ($32,900 vs. $45,700), or $500,000 less in estimated lifetime earnings (U.S. Department of Labor, 2002).If the intention is to change the economic trajectory of Breakthrough students (i.e., end the cycle of poverty), then having Breakthrough students begin the ir postsecondary educations at fouryear colleges is the best way to ensure they complete their bachelors degrees.Is there a difference in the attrition pass judgment of students at community colleges vs. students at fouryear colleges?The attrition array for students at community colleges, even those students who have an explicit intent to quest for bachelors degrees, is far greater than the attrition rate of students at four year colleges. In 2006 39% of students at community colleges who intend to pursue bachelors degrees left school without completing a degree or certificate program 17% of students at four year public colleges left school without completing a degree 16% of students at four year private colleges left school without completing a degree(National Center for Education Statistics, 2008 Special epitome of Community College data)