Introduction Community colleges are public academic institutions that offer certificate programs which run for one year, afterwards Students can transfer from a community college to a four-year school. The college I will be focusing is Central Alabama Community College. This college is a public institution supported by the Community around and is under the watch of the Alabama State Board of Education other colleges fall under their respective communities. The College works towards meeting the needs of every student at a very affordable price (Central Alabama Community College 2009). It was established to meet academic, career, adult education and skills training and has a tremendous impact on the community around and the many students who have passed through it. Community colleges are preferred due to:
Low tuition fees: They have affordable tuition fees and are conveniently located, the community college serve almost half the country’s undergraduate population, from career beginners to new immigrants. The institutions work in close relationship with high schools, community groups, and employers to provide good-quality programs at convenient places, time and prices (college info.com 2009). Their Annual tuition fees averages at approximately half those at public four-year colleges and less than fifteen percent of those private four-year institutions (College info.com 2009). Most community colleges are around the places where the students live, therefore, the students can save money on basic needs like accommodation, food expenses and transportation fee which were traditionally associated with institutions of higher learning.
Provision of a caring environment: The teaching staffs are knowledgeable in their academic fields and as trainers they are well equipped for excellence and in assisting students at the point of their weakness, regardless of their age, sex, race, current job status, or previous academic achievements. Community colleges have a strong curriculum base with a wide range of counseling and career choices that are supposed to help students utilize their educational opportunities and their individual talents (college info.com). Comprehensive programs: They can transfer units to some liberal arts programs such as chemistry, business and psychology to other colleges, which can lead to a bachelor degree that lasts less than four years and also offer career programs that help in the preparation of students for future employment (college info.com). It also assists students that are already employed in improving their skills. For the students who want to further their education, the college offers a wide range of developmental programs in common areas such as mathematics, linguistics, and learning skills, used for the preparation of the student for success in their college studies and for the people already involved in the businesses (college info.com). Flexibility: The Colleges allows for people to pursue different courses as they undergo their everyday lives introduction of part time courses. The people likely to benefit from this flexibility are the working few and people who have families. Acts as a stepping stone to greater achievement: Most people join the community colleges to buy time and discover their future carrier path to pursue in other institutions like the universities. This is done to avoid idleness that can be damaging to the young people. In conclusion community colleges are a better way to begin higher education as they are cheaper than doing a full course in a public or private institution.