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| | | Community colleges are often an affordable alternative to meeting the language arts or general education requirements found during the first two years at universities. They also offer personal enrichment courses, Associate degrees and certificate programs. Focused on immediate career employment or transfer to a four-year university, these schools are outcome-oriented, according to Mott Community College of Flint, Michigan. Admission is usually open to all high school graduates, often with limited courses available to high school students. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Full-time tuition, based on two 15-unit semesters is about $600 -$5,400 per year, or an average of $2,361, according to the American Association of Community Colleges. California has one of the lowest per unit or per credit hour rates at $20 while the Community College of Vermont is at the top of the scale with a per credit hour cost of $180 for in-state residents. Because community colleges are funded locally, out-of-state residents can expect to pay $183 -$360 per credit hour or $5,490 -$10,800 per year.
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| Additional costs: | - Book prices vary depending on the school and the field of study, check individual websites for specifics. Books and supplies run about $759 at the City University of New York: Bronx Community College. At California community colleges, books cost around $1,330, according to CaliforniaColleges.edu.
- Not all community colleges offer campus housing. When available, out-of-area students generally receive top priority. Among community colleges that are not associated with four-year campuses, room and board costs range from around $2,000 per year at Hinds Community College in Mississippi to $9,920 at Ilisagvik College in Alaska, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
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| Discounts: | - Check community college websites for scholarships available to local high school graduates.
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| Shopping for community college: | - Find a local college at the American Association of Community Colleges website.
- The US Department of Education maintains an online College Navigator which locates schools by zip code and degree requirements.
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Article updated July 2008 |
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