What do actor Nick Nolte, major league pitcher Nolan Ryan, and US Senator Olympia Snowe have in common? They all attended community colleges. A community college, or junior college, is an educational institution that provides a higher education to a local community, and grants certificates, diplomas, and Associates’ degrees. For some, the thought of attending a four-year institution is what going to college is all about. But many students are looking into the community college option to save money and satisfy general education credits before transferring to a more expensive 4-year school. So what can a community college offer your child? Let’s take a closer look.

We Are Community
According to the American Association of Community Colleges, community colleges educate more than half of the nation’s undergraduates. One hundred and seven years after the first community college was established–the still-existing Joliet Junior College in Illinois–there are 1,195 of these schools operating in the United States. Many attend community colleges to prepare to transfer to a 4-year institution; upgrade skills for a particular job; to pursue a hobby, like learning a language; or simply to explore other areas of academia. As a result, the average age of a community college student is 29 years old.

Why Community College?
As you probably already know, a 4-year college is expensive and that’s just the public kind. Private schools are even pricier. Nowadays, graduating in four years may be wishful thinking and the longer students stay, the more they (or you) will have to pay. While the average annual cost of a 4-year public college is $5,836 (with state residency), the average annual tuition of a community college is only $2,272. There is also the option of transferring to a 4-year school if your kids wish to complete a higher degree. If they fulfill certain course work, many universities will allow students to transfer in as a junior. The best part is, when they apply to their 4-year school they don’t look at their SAT scores or high school grades. So for those parents with kids who didn’t have a stellar high school academic record and have their sights set on a 4-year school, community college is an appealing alternative. Plus, completing general education at a community college gives students the ability to stay focused on their major when they do transfer to that 4-year school.

Community colleges are also known to be the ideal choice for particular occupations. The AACC reports that 50% of new nurses and the majority of other new health-care workers are educated at community colleges, and close to 80% of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMTs are credentialed at community colleges. The five hottest community college programs as of now are registered nursing, law enforcement, licensed practical nursing, radiology, and computer technologies.

Why Not Community College?
Whether or not community college is right for your kids depends on what they want out of their college experience. Although there are some community colleges that offer dorms, most do not. In addition, community colleges tend to have less socializing opportunities in the form of activities, groups, fraternities, and sororities. On the other hand, students will likely enjoy smaller class sizes and have the option of exploring other areas of study without being concerned about staying focused on their major. So if your kids are in need of a less expensive alternative to a 4-year school, a way to circumvent their below average high school performance, or seeking a career in one of the above-mentioned occupations, than community college may be a good fit. Visit www.aacc.nche.edu for more information.

When the time comes for your kids to start thinking about college, the biggest decision they’ll face is where to go. With so many schools to choose from in the United States and around the globe, the selection process of what schools to even apply for will be time-consuming. There are a variety of factors parents and students should take into account when deciding where to apply. In the following article we’ll give you a quick primer on what to tell your kids to look for before putting pen to application.

The Early Bird
With so many schools out there, parents need to urge their college-bound kiddies to start their search early. Junior year would be good, if not before. Keep in mind, students need to give themselves enough time to sort through potential colleges, narrow down the list, gather research information, and assess each school – and you’ll no doubt want to be involved in the process, which will no doubt have an affect on the length of time the search will take. The initial list of schools will likely be quite long, so you’ll definitely want to advise your teens to whittle it down to a more agreeable number by using a criteria and list of priorities that reflect what they want from their prospective college.

The First Cut
The Princeton Review’s 2007 “College Hopes & Worries Survey” Report found that 52% of students apply to five to eight colleges. To get to that number students will first need to create the criteria we talked about earlier. First and foremost, find out if your kids know what kind of career they want to pursue. This will be a huge factor in narrowing down the list to those institutions that specialize in their area of study. If they aren’t sure what they want to do there’s no need to pressure them to choose, rather send them to a career assessment test online to get a broad sense of potential career goals or ambitions. Though students can always change their course of study, it’s important they have a general idea of the kinds of subjects they’re interested in and which schools offer the best programs. The next elements to look for are the types of degrees a school offers, the majors and minors, and how easy it is to switch majors if necessary. In addition, advise them to find out what kinds of graduate opportunities are available. Does the college offer graduate degrees in their chosen field?

Location, Location, Location
For some parents and children the location of the school is of utmost importance. If your kids want to move far from home and you want them to stay close, look for schools that could be a good compromise; in other words, those colleges that enable your kids to visit without travel expenses being too costly. Also, remind them to consider climate when making their decision; after all, they’re going to spend four or more years in this locale so they’ll want to take the weather into account. Other location considerations include employment or internship opportunities that match career field, level of crime, and overall cost of living. Your kids may be open to a school that’s closer if it will allow them to live more comfortably.

Schooling Yourself
Beyond the overarching concerns like career and climate, there are more specific points to take into account when sorting through potential destinations. Make sure students consider the kinds of groups and clubs on campus to see if they match their interests. Social life is a big part of college, so definitely look into the reputation of the school from a socializing standpoint. Is it a party school, or a more conservative environment?

The size of the school is another matter they’ll want to examine. Check out the student to teacher ratio and the number of full-time faculty. Is it a large research institution or a small school that encourages professors to focus on teaching? If athletics are important to your kids, take a closer look at the college’s athletic program. This is also a good time to learn about any special services or unique benefits. For example, Abilene Christian University gives all of its incoming freshmen an Apple iPhone.

Next you’ll want to review the cost of tuition and housing with your children. Compare the expense of schools and take financial support into account. What schools will offer the most financial aid? Are there strings attached? Have them examine the freshmen retention rate to see if the school loses a lot of students after the first year. Also consider the average SAT score of those students who are accepted so your teen can determine if they’ve got the scores to make it in before they spend copious amounts of time on an application.

The Final Countdown
Once the list gets down to five to ten different schools, it’ll be time to rank the picks. You may want to visit a few campuses with your child to help them determine the school that will be their first choice. Encourage them to continue to gather information by talking with current students, analyzing the courses offered, and crunching the numbers. But no matter the criteria, it’ll likely come down to instinct. Help them evaluate all of the information and empower