<p>I know a story a bit like the case you are describing, but here is how it has played out:</p>
<p>Leaves 4-year college after 2 years to work. Job transfer to distant city where new division has financial difficulties and doesn’t pay her. Knows what is going on because she’s in the payroll office. Finds a new job where she tells employer that all she cares about is getting the paycheck on a regular basis. Gets married, buys a house in a suburb, divorces husband, keeps working, meets a new guy who is working his way through grad school, gets married, has kids, has new husband stay home with the kids because he whines about his job too much, keeps working, keeps benefits, watches job title change over the years, after pressure from husband and boss completes four-year degree at night in respected public U extension program, job title keeps changing, pays for house, fully funds kids college funds, two kids now enrolled in private universities fully paid for by mom’s earnings and savings, dad still is manager of household and full time community volunteer, mom’s job title is now vice president of operations. </p>
<p>Maybe, just maybe your office assistant has a future like this ahead of her if you and your partners are willing to keep promoting her and stop considering it exploitation.</p>
<p>Re #118 – it’s a very valid question. The “dabblers”, for lack of a better word, won’t be taking calculus at CC. Or the hard history courses, etc. And I will note that at my own private LAC many years ago, we had some moms returning to finish degrees, and they were the most dedicated, hardworking students. They weren’t in class daydreaming about what to wear to the party that night.</p>
<p>My mother dabbled in a few college classes, but her parents were not at all supportive - they were of the era that the mentality was “get married and be a housewife.” Instead, she met my father and worked to support the family while he was in graduate school getting a Ph.D. She worked as a produce buyer for a supermarket chain and in clerical/office support positions. Then, when she began working for a university-affiliated research laboratory that provided tuition reimbursement, she went back to night school while he played stay-at-home dad. Long story short, she’s now a financial analyst, put me through college and turns up at my grad school bachelor pad demanding to redecorate my bathroom and stock my kitchen :p</p>
<p>I would say that our CC is stronger in humanities, social sciences, and education preparation. If my kids were heading into one of those areas, they would get a fine start. However, for strong sciences, engineering prep, or foreign languages, not so much.</p>
<p>from the article, which is really quite good:</p>
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<p>Maybe this is the answer to the question of “how will the college bubble burst.” maybe this growth in upper middle class attendance at CC’s is the first step in the end of ceaselessly rising college costs. Who knows?</p>
<p>^CC might not be the cheapest option at all. As CC’s resources are limited, there are less (none?) opportunities for scholarships. Definitely not free, while there are ways to attend 4 year college for free (Merit awards, Need based, employer paying). 3 out of 4 in our family got UG / MBA for free. No complaints, especially that 2 of us got it more or less for entertainment, yes, we did not need degrees, but it was very rewarding and later we have discovered that it increased your chances to find another job. Going to school while being working adult was fun.</p>
<p>The students from upper middle class families are probably not getting need-based aid to make 4-year colleges free. For the big merit awards at the 4-year colleges, it would mainly be those with the highest achievement in high school (who would not be as good fits for community colleges due to being more likely to want to take courses beyond what community colleges offer), but a much larger number of college bound students would not find big merit.</p>
<p>In other words, plenty of college bound students (perhaps the 2.8 to 3.4 GPA range in high school) from families who would not get significant need-based aid may find that paying list price for a less selective 4-year college may not make as much sense as going to community college and transferring, either to a “better” 4-year college, or at least saving money if going to the same less selective 4-year college.</p>
<p>Not all colleges are very expensive and employer paying option is still there at many places. When family does not consider cost and palce a kid into highest ranked possible then it might be all different game. Otherwise finding affordable place is not a problem for middle class family and for lower income there are need based scholarships.</p>
<p>Yeah. Personally, I’m just a big fan of when more options become available.</p>
<p>Looking for all those middle class scholarships requires a lot of time and energy and strategizing and understanding the system, and not everyone has that time or energy or understanding of the system. </p>
<p>So, if there are good, affordable options at more stages of the game, I think it’s better for everyone. Especially the kids.</p>
<p>While those B students won’t get merit aid at name ranked colleges there absolutely is merit money available at very good colleges. All three of my kids were offered merit grants/scholarships from $10,000 - $20,000/year from private colleges. We were not eligible for any need-based aid.</p>
<p>For me, that’s the strongest reason NOT to go to a community college for very good students. The aid is there for incoming freshman but it may not be available for transfer students.</p>
<p>Nationwide, most students don’t fall into “merit” range. Most families have to sort out their options based on what they can pay out of pocket, what the student can earn in the summer and/or school year, what they have managed to save, and what they are willing/able to borrow. Here at CC it is easy to get the impression that there is merit money available for anyone, but that just is plain and simply not true.</p>
<p>A $10,000 to $20,000 discount off of a $30,000 to $60,000 private school cost of attendance is still likely to be much more expensive than attending a community college for two years and then transferring to a state university.</p>
<p>Note that in California, the UCs’ Regents Scholarships are offered to transfers as well as freshmen, so a students who would be nowhere near merit money (or even admission) as a freshman has a chance to get some as a transfer.</p>
<p>Good point, ucbalumnus. CC is probably always going to be lower priced then even a well priced in-state college or a good award at any four year college.</p>
<p>Even when you fall into merit range, that usually means that the student can attend a private university for roughly the same amount as the state flagship. In Calif, that means $31k per year, for an in-state student living in the dorms. Most people will have trouble coming up with that amount, so I think the trend towards cc then transfer will continue to grow. My D was offered $25k per year, that still wouldn’t cover more than the cost of an in-state UC. We are able to manage, but many can’t. </p>
<p>agree w/ ucb above</p>
<p>With the growth of “university quality” students attending cc, the overall quality of cc’s will go up. I think that’s a good thing.</p>