***Pro’s***

-#1 is Cost, #2 is Cost, and #3 is Cost.....

The Scholarships, Tuition Assistance, and Grants are great for both lower-income, and ALL income groups not routinely eligible for any “free money” (at least in SC). 

Even if your state (those in the minority) doesn't offer similar programs---or they're not

available to EVERYONE, the price alone will make a HUGE DIFFERENCE.  Typically, costs are about half of 4-Year University Tuition and Fees---but of course this varies by Location and Program.   

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***EITHER WAY---THIS IS THEIR KEY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE***

-Acceptance is pretty simple - it's not all that demanding.  Almost everyone gets in.

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-Location, Location, Location...  For most people, these Colleges are often just a short drive, bus-ride, or bike-ride away--often with several satellite locations within the same region.  Thus, other aspects of your life can pretty much stay the same and any added expenses can be minimized.

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-Select Majors have Night Classes available as well.  The reason the word "Select" was used is because they pretty much ALL HAVE NIGHT CLASSES---they're just often Gen Eds, Electives, and usually a curtailed list of Major Programs. 

Keep in mind, many of the degrees are "Hand's On" (like the Healthcare Majors) and you now bring in the challenge of Internship/Externship locations available.  Additionally, the ability to find Qualified Instructors for those time slots can be challenging.

-Many have Articulation Agreements with State Universities where nearly all credits are accepted---this is true in SC.  However, AND THIS IS KEY, some courses will not apply to all Degree Maps/Program Requirements.  This is the difference between "transferable" vs "applicable".

*This is one of the Top 5 things to internalize from this section.

MANY, MANY, MANY Students & Parents are fooled by this and find out the hard way.

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-TO BE CLEAR:  Even a Student with a Community College AA/AS Degree may have

2.5 to 3 years remaining on certain 4-year degrees if they didn't do the research first.

-LARGE Catalog of Majors to pick from.  That’s great, but as mentioned above, it means LOTS of potential for “job demand and income” issues in the future if yours isn’t as needed in the “real world”.  So, take the time to thoroughly investigate potential options.

-EXCELLENT Selection of Certificate Programs for those wanting “hands on” type stuff.  Logistics, Industrial Maintenance, Electrician, Welding, Plumbing, HVAC, Auto Mechanic, Basic Information Technology, Basic Healthcare, Manufacturing, Forklift Operators (and MANY others).
 

-Support of Local Employers.  OK, this one's really important.  It mainly deals with the Certificate & Diploma Programs mentioned above. 

Periodically, in an effort to boost interest and the overall candidate pool, Individual Employers will agree to interview any successful grad after completion of training related to the company's workforce needs.  In other cases, they will interview beforehand with the "agreement" that satisfactory completion will result in a position (if all else remains the same). 

Lastly, many don't know this, but Employers occasionally ask Community Colleges to help develop a program that they need for their employees or future candidates. 

Just note----with these, almost all are "Hands On" type Employers/Positions

(i.e. Manufacturing, Logistics, Maintenance & Repair, Warehousing & Distribution, Automotive & Aerospace etc...).  Generally, this "custom designed training" is not for your traditional "White Collar" type careers---but can lead to internal Management, Sales, or Training roles down the road.

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-Class Rigor may be a tad easier than your basic “Branch” or “Regional” University.  This is REALLY helpful if you must meet certain GPA benchmarks to keep any Tuition Assistance, Grants, or Scholarships you're using for your Program.  Additionally, this can lead to some serious cash if you transfer to a 4-year University.  This would be via Automatic State Scholarships you didn't initially qualify for in High School (ex. The LIFE Scholarship in SC) or various Automatic Institutional Scholarships that just use THIS GPA (not HS).  In our state these could easily equal $10-$12k annually when combined. 

-CLEP - AP - DSST Exam Acceptance.  First off, they typically accept the ACE Score Recommendations for CLEPs (unlike some other Colleges that have boosted the requirements a little).  Additionally, unlike some Schools---they'll typically take All AP Exams (and only require a score of "3" in almost all cases).  Lastly, they may or may not advertise that they take DSST Exams-for-Credit, but if they accept them for Veterans, they should certainly take them for everyone (now that the tests are available TO ALL). 

Unfortunately, if they're like a few Colleges we've dealt with---you might have to put together a case to get them accepted.  (More info on that in our DSST exam section).
 

REALLY IMPORTANT NOTE (regarding all 3 of these Exams):

Individual 4-year Universities might have higher score requirements on these tests, so check that first when selecting your ultimate destination.  They might not take a certain CLEP, have 

higher score requirements for those or individual APs, or not even take DSSTs you used to graduate. 

*HOWEVER---this may be a subject for NEGOTIATION later on... 
 

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-Instructors can be Very Solid.   Along with the standard full-time Professors, they often utilize Adjunct Instructors (or Adjunct Professors) who are typically working in the

field---or did so recently.  These educators can be advantageous for students due to the real-world experience and practical perspectives they can bring into the classroom. 

The more Specialized the Program, the better they often are.

*Just note---whether full-time Professor or Adjunct Instructor---we all know it is like everything else in life---you can find high-performance individuals in all environments. 

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