The college I attend is Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey. Currently, my college offers an array of excellent two year programs for Associate degrees and other certificates in many fields of study. MCCC also offers two opportunities to receive a Baccalaureate degree in the Culinary Arts and Nursing program with the cooperation of the University of Delaware. I feel that offering Baccalaureate degrees through community colleges is an excellent service to students.
There are many great advantages to choosing a community college over a four-year institution. The two most important advantages are cost and convenience. The community college is an excellent solution for lower class students who cannot afford to attend a four-year school. Low-cost tuition and varied class schedules make attending community college part-time or full-time affordable and convenient. A community college student has the ability to achieve an accredited Associate degree or transfer to another four-year school or university. .
For students who are not ready to move away from home, community college, again, has an answer. Students who reside in New Jersey have a number of community colleges in close proximity to their homes. All of these colleges offer an educational opportunity which is comparable to that of Rutgers, Rider, and The College of New Jersey. Most of the preceding schools also offer transfer agreements with community colleges that make a students college experience, once again, cheaper and more convenient.
Should a state choose to fund a community college to offer more four-year opportunities, the same benefits of a two-year degree would now apply to the four-year. The first benefit would be the cost. Imagine the amount of people who could go to college and receive a Baccalaureate degree for the cost of one year at a private university. Another benefit of a four-year program in a community college would be the convenience of being able to live at home and attend a school right around the corner.
