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Cost Savings

Lower Tuition

Solid cost savings is one of the major benefits of attending a community college. The annual tuition at a two-year college is about half that of a public four-year college. Plus, you can live at home and avoid the expense of campus housing.

In 1998-99, the average tuition and fees at two-year public colleges was $1,633, compared to $3,243 at four-year publics, and $14,508 at four-year private colleges.

It was the cost savings that led Amy Brandt, 18, to select Central Virginia Community College in Lynchburg, VA, for her first two years. "The four-year colleges we were looking at cost $12,000 to $17,000 a year with room and board," says her father Henry. "Over two years, we were going to save about $20,000 with a community college."

"I was raised to look at the financial side of things," adds Amy. "One of the things I considered was that if I could earn my college degree and not owe any money when I get out, I'd have a big jump on a lot of people."

Other families, too, have found that community college helps them avoid costly loans, at least for the first two years of college.

Financial Aid

Low costs won't shut out the possibility of receiving financial aid, either. "Many students mistakenly believe that because the costs of tuition at a community college are low, they won't qualify for any financial aid," notes Renee Salah, director of financial aid at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA. "They may not understand that we factor in living and transportation allowances that help them to qualify for aid."

The new Hope "Scholarship" Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit bills, effective for the 1998 tax year, are tailor-made for community college students. These two credits are based on college tuition paid up to $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. 

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