In my position as a college counselor for high school students, I am intimately aware of the ebb and flow of changes in our local community college system. However, it makes sense that parents are usually not privy to changes in budgetary or enrollment policies and other things that can ultimately affect their children, so I want to lay out some important considerations here.
More and more students are enrolling in community college each year. There are a multitude of reasons, and the weak economy has driven many of them. For example, an obvious one is the cost difference between a junior college and a university--even a state school. Also, many adults who are either unemployed or feel their employment is tenuous are returning to school to improve their job skills or train for a new career. These adults, or "non-traditional students," are competing for the same seats as your teenager.
Non-economy-driven factors include the cultural shift of teenagers (on average) being less functionally independent than previous generations were at the same age, and an increase in rates of special needs traits (e.g. Asperger's syndrome) that create a scenario where kids may be academically capable of handling college-level work but are not capable of managing a social environment without supervision.
The "why" of the situation might be irrelevant for most parents but the "what" of the situation should be better publicized than it currently is, because the impact is far reaching.
We typically associate a bachelor's degree with four years of college education. This is no longer standard, please know that up front. In fact, when colleges report "on time" graduation statistics, they use the gauge of six years from date of enrollment to program completion. (And even at six years, the current number is only 54%--how depressing.)
Therefore, you should be calculating into the costs of your child's education six or more years of tuition instead of just four if they will be attending a state college or going to a community college on a transfer track. In addition, keep in mind that the longer it takes them to graduate is longer you have to wait until they are out in the workforce with any hopes of supporting themselves.
My point is that the state systems and community colleges were supposed to be the panacea for families with fewer resources, to ensure that everyone had access to a financially feasible higher education. However, these more recent turn of events (impacted schools, repeated increases in state college tuition, etc.) are leading to a counterintuitive conclusion: PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE OFTEN NOW THE MORE ECONOMICAL ROUTE.
Consider these facts:
- Your child will probably be able to finish college in four years at a private school, and some even have "four-year guarantees."
- Private colleges are now offering so much financial aid in the form of scholarships that the amount the family actually pays for attendance is often less than what they would pay for one of their state colleges.
- The attention, service and support you and your child will receive at a private college is many times greater than at most state schools. Sometimes that benefit is worth the small difference in tuition (if there is any difference at all!).
- There are many small (<2,000 students) private colleges all over the country and these are often the best choice for special needs teens. Even if your son or daughter has adequate academic skills, they will get more assistance with social and organizational skills at a small private school than they will even at community college, let alone a large state school (and is there any other kind?).
As you can see, there are ample reasons to at least consider sending your child to a small private college or university. Don't let the sticker shock scare you away! Do your research--find the right location, size, majors, activities and supports, and then apply. You might be very pleasantly surprised by the aid package you are offered. And in the end, your child will probably circumvent a whole host of problems: impaction of classes; having to fill out transfer applications; the sense of anonymity and isolation; and lack of guidance and support. Sounds like a plan to me!
