Is community college a good option?

Many of you are wondering if community college is really an option for you. Community colleges serve a vital purpose to the higher education system. In the state of Pennsylvania, the rate of students enrolling in a 2 year college currently outstrips those enrolled in 4 year colleges and universities. What are the benefits and drawbacks and how do you know if this is an option to consider.

Pluses
1. If finances are a major component to your (or your child's) ability to pursue higher education, community college is the least expensive option, without considering scholarship and financial aid. If you will not qualify for either scholarship or financial aid, community college is certainly an inexpensive alternative. This allows you to pay less money for 2 years of schooling and then transfer those credits.
2. If grades and/or standardized test scores are an issue in getting into the college of your choice, a year or two at community college can show a bit of stability and/or improvement.

Concerns
1. Not all credits transfer and/or will get you finished with your major in 4 total years. Often times, you will need 3 years to finish your coursework for an associates degree at community college due to prerequisites, scheduling, and/or space availability. In addition, once you have completed the program/courses, your courses many not all transfer (depending on the college you are transferring to) and you may need different courses than those taken to complete your planned major.
2. Using community college as a way to improve your chances of admission is dicey. Even if you do your best work and attain all A's at the community college level, it is difficult for admission officials to "register" how you will do in their more rigorous college curriculum. Financial aid at many schools is less "available" to transfer students as the class financial aid resources have usually been spent (and overspent) to fill the freshman class. This is not true across the board and will vary from college to college.
3. Transferring will mean integrating yourself into a community that has already been through their "first day" together. You can certainly become involved and connected within the college community, but you will need to make a concerted effort to do so.

Community colleges are meant to feed into the state school system. If your intention is not to go to a state college, you will want to seriously investigate your community college options as well as the options of the 4 year colleges you will eventually hope to enter. These 2 year programs can be a great option for the right student.