A Penny Earned is a Penny saved

My main case is that students think that attending a community college is much cheaper than attending a four year institution out of high school, but in actual fact, due to the numerous barriers that students face, this might not be the case. 

First, students are lacking academic preparation by attending a community college whose academic standards are lower than that of the four year institution. This is negatively affecting students and ultimately leading to a longer college career.

As stated by Zamani, "… when only some credits were accepted, the degree-completion rate fell to 42 percent. And more than half of the students who transfer to four-year institutions receive only partial credit for their previous coursework" (Zamani).

Next, students are lacking informative information about transfer policies such as the articulation agreements as well as facts about financial loans which are leading them to make poor decisions when transferring to a four year institution.   

As stated by Scott Jaschik, “Four-year institutions would sometimes respond that the transfer students seemed unaware of degree requirements” ... and “the result of these mismatches in expectations was a situation in which many community college students hoping to finish a bachelor's degree in two years at a four-year institution found themselves taking longer (and paying more)” (Jaschik). 

Also students who transfer to a four year institution face the financial burden of the increase in tuition and fees. When students attend community college, they are able to live at home which helps limit their expenses; when they move to a four year institution they usually have either a much longer commute or they have to live on campus, with all of the extra expenses those choices entail. 

“The price of textbooks at two year colleges has risen over 100 percent in the past 17 years, more rapidly than any other commodity during the same time period” (cited in Transition Matters).

Lastly, students who move from a community college to a four year institution lose their previous “community” and suffer the sort of isolation often called “transfer shock”. This transfer shock includes academic articulation as well as a social barrier. 

As Laanan notes: "The term transfer shock has been used to characterize the temporary dip in transfer students' academic performance (or GPA) in the first or second semester after transferring" (Laanan). 

Students who are able to attend and afford four year institutions should do so once they graduate high school and students who are unable to attend, should be provided with adequate information needed for a smooth transition.