<p>DD18 is currently enrolled in Penn State, not Main, and can commute. With scholarships, grants, and loans, she just made tuition. We are providing the car to commute, and paying for her insurances. </p>
<p>She does work part time, and that will be for gas, and other misc expenses, though I told her she needs to sock away every penny she can spare for next year. </p>
<p>IF she doesn't get any scholarships next year, she will not make tuition. I think she should go to CC for her sophomore year, just to save money, and then go back to PS for the final 2 yrs. She is going for a BS in Business, which can be completed at the local PS school.</p>
<p>Has anyone ever done this? Is it even possible?</p>
<p>In my state (WA), this happens with some students. In some cases, it is even by design, and is called an, “Upside Down Degree” where students complete their specialty major courses and then return to complete their general education courses at a later time.</p>
<p>As long as Penn State is willing to accept the CC credits in transfer, and if they are also willing to give her a leave of absence, then it should be very do-able.</p>
<p>I did this (for the same reasons, financial - for lower level classes there’s no real benefit to going to a university over a CC) and I think it was a good decision. Not at Penn State but a similar large public. I simply did not enroll for classes at the university and enrolled in classes at the CC, then the following year enrolled for classes at the university (I think I had to go talk to someone in person to be allowed to enroll - but it wasn’t a big deal) and transferred the credits. It’s pretty simple. </p>
<p>You do need to check the rules for the particular college. Some schools are “funny” about accepting credits from another school, once the student is matriculated at their school. They require permission and have some exceptions and not others, so you and your DD need to work this out very carefully. </p>
<p>There often programs, however, at state schools for the express purpose of getting those with some college into a track for graduation. So if this has to be for monetary purposes, do it, but plan it out.</p>
<p>My neighbor took courses for years at Allegheny communty college and then switched to Pitt when the required premed courses were no longer offered at CC. She is now a doctor. It took her time, but she did this using the CC as her resource.</p>
<p>It is true that some CC courses are not as “meaty” as the ones offered at 4 year school, but there are also courses at the Penn State satellites that fall in the same category when compared to the flagship. This is a situation that always exists to some degree. It’s not all roses doing this, but you can save a lot of money, avoid debt, and, yes, get to the same place. But it does require flexibility and stretch. Ideal, no. But an alternate path, many take.</p>