<p>Oh...my...god.</p>
<p>Once again..this thread isn't about YOU.</p>
<p>For the last time, we are talking tuition versus tuition.</p>
<p>For that matter...how about someone that lives near a UC and not a CCC. Wow, it's much cheaper to go to a UC than live near the CCC.</p>
<p>I give up.</p>
<p>You won't find too many places where there is a UC/CSU without a CCC close by. California is also an unusual case as far as CCs go. Most states don't fund their upper division state universities at anywhere near the rate that CA does. </p>
<p>Illinois also has a very well developed CC system. If you follow the 2+2 program, any state university must admit you as a junior. The difference is their universities are 2-3 times more expensive per year than CA schools. The CCs are also more expensive, but the gap is still much wider. The access isn't as easy either.</p>
<p>Indiana is way behind both states as far as making that type of transferable education a reality.</p>
<p>this thread wasnt suppose to be a war between cc and uc prices.</p>
<p>Too late. Sorry for the thread jack.</p>
<p>exillo, my case is identical to fei. Urs is different, but thats ok. </p>
<p>It comes down to most cases a student can live at home and attend a CC, there are rare cases where thats not possible and u get into living expenses for CC. Highly unusual b/c most students that go to a CC live w/ their parents.</p>
<p>This is for UC BERKELEY....(on their website)</p>
<p>2004-2005 Fee Schedule (note: fees are per semester)</p>
<p>Undergraduates - CA Residents </p>
<p>University Registration Fees: $356.50</p>
<p>Educational Fees: $2,485.50 </p>
<p>Berkeley Campus Fee: $98.75</p>
<p>Class Pass Fee Transit: $37.20</p>
<p>Heath Insurance Fee: $387.00</p>
<p>Total: $3,364.95</p>
<p>This means that per Academic Year (STRICTLY SPEAKING TUITION ONLY) it would cost a total amount of $6,729.90. The other UC's on the quarter system has a similar 1 academic year cost. </p>
<p>This is for CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE....</p>
<p>Enrollment Fee/Tuition: $26.00/unit (currently that is...)</p>
<p>Student Services Fee: $15.00/semester OR $15.00/intersession</p>
<p>Health Fee: $13.00/semester OR $10.00/intersession</p>
<p>Parking Fees: $50.00/semester OR $20.00/intersession</p>
<p>Now given the situation where a typical cc student plans to transfer in two ACADEMIC years to a UC....he/she would need to complete at the LEAST 60 semester units by the time of transfer.
Assuming he/she completes 30 semester units in one ACADEMIC year...that means it would cost $780.00 just for enrollement.
Now adding all the side costs including student services, health fees, parking, etc... it would cost around $246.00 for 2 Semesters and 2 Intersessions.
In the end the total cost PER ACADEMIC YEAR at a CA community college would cost around $1,026.00.</p>
<p>NOW THIS IS OPPOSE TO THE $6,729.90 COST FOR A UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PER YEAR...A DIFFERENCE OF $5703.90!
FOR THE UC IT WOULD COST $13,459.90 FOR 2 ACADEMIC YEARS...WHILE IT WILL ONLY COST $2,052.00 FOR 2 ACADEMIC YEARS AT A CC.
YOU WILL SAVE A TOTAL OF $11,407.90 BY GOING TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE (STRICTLY SPEAKING TUITION ONLY THAT IS!). </p>
<p>...........................................now that is a lot of money. </p>
<p>and...I can't believe I just spent that much time on this response. ENJOY!</p>
<p>I'm very excited to be leaving my CC, however I would not describe it as a prison. Many students are just there because mom and dad are forcing them. Likewise though there are students who are really working hard to go to a good 4 year university. Do I love my CC, no not in the least, but I would not go as far as calling it prison or a ditch.</p>
<p>I love community college. I hated high school; it just wasn't a learning enviroment. Everywhere you looked, it was whores and drug addicts, and i'm talking about a school in the nice suburbs. Community college is much much more easier than high school and I'd bet that Universities are even easier than community colleges. I hated high school, it made me sick to my stomach.</p>
<p>Applemouth...compare that pricing to an overall education and subtract the stress factor of having to transfer out of a CCC.</p>
<p>Of course a UC is more expensive, but in the grand scheme, you wont really notice the amount for what you paid OVERALL in your 5-6 years of education.</p>
<p>What's more, at a CCC you pay PER UNIT. At the UC you pay the same no matter how many units you take.</p>
<p>And your CCC numbers are for 15 units, whereas many students take more. So the cost is more.</p>
<p>Also..what is up with the campus fee? Is that parking? If so, not everyone parks on campus.</p>
<p>Compare tuition versus tuition, and look at the sum total over a five year education and you will see the percentage narrows and is fairly negligible overall.</p>
<p>For me, I like the most direct path of least resistance..and that is going straight to a four year. Even if I would have had to pay a little bit more, it is far more attractive of an option.</p>
<p>My bottom line spin on this all is that if you live close to a UC, cost should not pohibit you from attending.</p>
<p>Exilio, </p>
<p>I absolutely agree with you 210%. I would have much preferred to attend a 4-year institution straight rather than first going to a ccc for 2-3 years and then transferring out to the school. There are some opportunities and experiences that can only really be obtained if you attended the university as a freshman. Attending a university from the beginning, everything is so brand new...and the best thing is...there are thousands of other students that feel exactly the same way that you do...breaking out of their shells, coming from high school, off to be independent. These are experiences that can only be found if you were there from the beginning. </p>
<p>This is just an example, but from what I hear socially...it is harder for transfers to make a lot of friends. This is because the students that were at the UC from the beginning had already made strong bonds and relationships. I don't know if this is true, but it does make sense. But I am sure transfers do make good friends...but it is different if you were attending the university from the beginning. </p>
<p>In the end it comes down to the situation that the individual is in. If the student really cannot afford it...then ccc is the best choice. I know a friend that was attending Mount Saint Mary's College (a private institution) and was receiving seriously like 85-90% financial aid. 85-90% being paid off by the government of MSM's tuition, room, & board is an enormous amount of money. Unfortunately, she cannot afford to pay the rest. She did not go back to MSM and is now attending a community college. I feel so terrible, but my point is...there are some people that really find themselves in unfortunate situations where money is a big issue...and I am sure that is the same for most of us. Even though the UC's are public institutions, it can be a problem for some people.</p>
<p>Bottom line is...
Had I wish I had gone straight to a 4-year? YES!
Do I dislike my CA community college? YOU BETCHA!
But...as much as I hate my community college experience...I've realize that I need to put that aside and really focus on my goal...attending a top tier UC. I know it's hard to put that aside...believe me...I know exactly how it feels. But it's the only way we can get out. Complaining and moping around all day about how bad it is here isn't going to help much. And I am not only saying this to you exilio, to ALL community college students. For now, I am going to enjoy the positives that I have found during my stay at a community college...I am saving some money, I am spending more time with my family, and I actually have the time to study and LEARN...which is a great feeling. </p>
<p>But I see where you are coming from exilio...</p>
<p>In the end.........to all ccc students.........work hard and get the hell out of this place ASAP!</p>
<p>Nice response. And I agree as well.</p>
<p>And what's more, I wholeheartedly agree about getting out of my CCC. I respect the opportunity it has afforded me, but I cannot wait to move on.</p>
<p>I can understand that the social cliques might be tough to break through when transferring in, but I am sure there are many people to get to know. There are a myriad of student groups and that is one of the best ways to put yourself into the mix.</p>
<p>By the way, which UCs did you apply to?</p>
<p>can't agree more, i want to transfer out more than anything. Too bad this is just my first year. :(</p>
<p>I don't love the CC thing, but I do look at the fact that out of High School I could have maybe gotten into a CSU (maybe I was lacking in some areas). Because I have done my two years at a CC, it looks promising that I'll get into UCLA for the Fall next year. That's something that I could have never even dreamed possible 2 years ago, so I don't think the CC was the worst path. However that is just in my case, I'm sure some of you have had very different experances then I have.</p>
<p>Junior college is everything from a wasteland to a safehaven. It provides former herion additcs with the opportunity to go to harvard and its a place some people never get beyond. Its all what you make of it. Most certianly i think all the people that go to jc's that could have gone to college regret it.</p>
<p>I think the toughest thing as many people have mentioned is the social aspect of community colleges, which is pretty much dead. I go to the City College of San Francisco, and since it's in a large city, the school is mostly filled with older adults trying to get certifications and AA degrees. For me, since the campus is very close to me, my savings is a lot compared to the UC system.</p>
<p>What's more annoying is that I got accepted to UCSB... with a 3.2 GPA and a 1280 SAT. I should have been kissing the feet of the admissions. But I rejected it. I always wanted to go to Davis, and for some reason, I just wasn't able to make the choice to go to UCSB.</p>
<p>Ironically enough, UCSB is at the top of my list to transfer now :) But I'm not complaining about the past and what I did before, and when I transfer, I'll make sure to live my college life to the fullest.</p>
<p>I lived on my own for a year going to a CCC that was 500 miles away from my hometown. ( It's fees are also some of the cheapest in the state...they were $12.00 a unit before last fall and now they're only $18.00 per unit.) I returned home for a number of reasons, none of which had to do with the College that I previously attended.</p>
<p>I don't know that many people who go away to attend a CCC that isn't in their hometown. Is there anyone who has done that on this forum?</p>
<p>To answer the thread question: E. I actually like CC. It doesn't feel like a prison to me at all!</p>