Why should international students consider studying abroad in Community Colleges?

Students worldwide are moving across borders to pursue their education and expand the scope and opportunity associated with earning a better employment opportunity. Till now, the figures have reflected that a good number of international students, especially from a vast country like India, have migrated to countries like States, Australia, or Europe to explore and nurture their prospect of getting highly educated. Numerous opportunities are waiting outside for a student to move internationally to other regions and find out the cultural experience and academic differences in other parts of the world.

However, not everyone who desires to study abroad can afford tuition fees that are burying a hole in the pocket-worthy high.  Pursuing an undergraduate program in countries like the US could be very high, depending on the university’s preference for studying. It is, however, essential to one’s understanding that as international students, most of the applicants are unaware of the choices that could be offered to them and parallelly reduce their expenses to study abroad. Universities are offering a traditional 4-year degree program for students. However, unconventional routes could take one to the same destination as other undergraduates studying in a university.

The new unconventional route for many international students is known as Community College. The community college has been popularized amongst international students for over 2-3 years now in a row. About one-fifth of the total students in a community college account for international students who chose a different way of pursuing the same old university degree. Students are generally unaware or find community college not an appealing option for them to complete their higher education. It is also the case because these students especially come from an international region to expand their chances of a better future.

It is not an unknown fact that not every study abroad aspirant has a top-tier score that could avail them of a scholarship. In other cases, not every international student has a bag full of money lying around in their homes to pay off for their education. There may be the option for taking an education loan. However, good scores do matter entering any prestigious university, even if not an ivy league.

In this article, Student Cover experts will talk about why an international student should look forward to enrolling in community colleges and the benefits that these colleges cater to local and international students.

 

Community College: What to Know?

Community Colleges are separate from proper universities and function a bit differently from a conventional institute or university. These are also known as junior colleges for local students who want to remain close to their home vicinity and pursue an associate degree for two years. Generally, community colleges are affordable and easy to get through for local students who have a modest grade. It is also a considered choice for working individuals who want to pursue a degree and can spare time in the evening to take classes.

Nevertheless, one might wonder how international students could benefit from a local community college in several counties or districts in the USA or any other foreign region? There are several positive sides to joining a community college by an international student. One of the worthy sides includes the flexibility of getting transferred to a four-year degree university as soon as one has completed their 2-year associate degree in a local community college.

Sometimes, as an international student getting through the admission process of a proper university might be overwhelming. Then there is the factor of inability to understand many things. There are millions of questions and the risk that an applicant might not pass all the eligibility criteria to go through the application process. A community college could then be a savior for such students. The junior college might be providing a degree not equivalent to a four-year degree institute or university. However, it opens the door to several other opportunities for local as well as international students.

Here are some listed benefits and reasons which make a community college worth considering by international students.

Reasons Community College also a good choice for students from International regions?

All the community colleges, especially in America, cater to a better way to pursue their higher education at cheaper and affordable fees. They can provide the international or local students with a different road to pursue their degrees from a traditional university even after completing a 2-year associate degree from a local community college.

International students must not think that community colleges are only pulling them back from attaining the right of an excellent educational opportunity in overseas regions. Instead, it is capable of providing a solution to many issues at once. Here is how a community college proposes to help you in your education:

Affordability & Admission Process

In a country like the States, community college is way more accessible and affordable for any international student. Higher education costs a fortune in an American university. Not everyone has meritorious grades to get their hands-on scholarship or is born to super-rich guardians.

Community colleges cost just a portion of private universities’ total tuition and lesser than half of a degree program in a public university. By choosing a community college, international students get the option to save a considerate amount of sum for later transferring into a proper university to continue their majors or degree program. Plus, there are also housing facilities to look for outside at a much lower rate.

The best part of community college is its open admission policy. A student, international or local, must have a proper high school diploma and a transcript from the previous high school. The transcript requires translation in English if the school uses the native language to write documentation. He/she might have to give an entrance examination in subjects like mathematics to understand which subjects would be suitable for them to choose as majors in their degree program. A student must also prove that he/she has a good command of the English language. They are all set to joining the program for earning an associate degree in the concerned subject.

Smaller Class Strength

It is known and said since the time of our high school that a smaller strength of students in class leads to a better attention span of teachers and students. There are more participation and interaction between teacher and students, and the scope of asking questions increases relatively. Community colleges follow this principle and have lesser strength in classrooms. On the other hand, universities follow a teaching pattern where hundreds of students are lectured collectively in the classroom. It causes many introvert students to respond or participate less or not ask their doubts very frequently or freely.

Experiencing and getting ready for US universities

As mentioned above in the article, not every international student coming to the US could afford to pay a higher tuition fee for pursuing an undergraduate or post-graduate degree program. If a student still wants to try his luck, the best option would be to enroll in a community college. There are several benefits to doing this:

1. One can get a 2-year associate degree at a cheaper cost.
2. By maintaining a good GPA score throughout two years, one can choose to transfer into a university college of their choice directly and begin pursuing from the third year just like any regular student pursuing an undergraduate degree.
3. Employers are connected to some of the community colleges that prefer recruiting students from the degree program directly.
4. A student can save money while studying in a community college for two years and invest the money later to transfer into a private university.
5. A student can take English language classes in the college as part of the preparation for getting into a private four-year degree university.
6. Getting a chance to explore through subjects to choose an appropriate major while transferring to a university.
7. Making connections with more local and international students for future reference to experience the region’s diversity and living in the US.

 

Let’s Wrap Up!

Community colleges are a good way out for students from affordability and good grades in high school or college admission tests. It provides a student the scope to not miss on the experiences of living overseas and understand the ways to make up for missing two years. One does not feel any difference in education as students are taught the same general curriculum in a program taught in universities. The only difference lies in the degree which is awarded as an associate degree.

However, community college is a wise decision for students to try into their dream college and save the expenses for later studying into a private university of their choice. Community college allows one to continue their program from the third year to any regular student and get awarded a traditional degree. All these benefits account for considering community college as one of the choices for studying abroad by international students.

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Disclaimer: This blog was written based on the personal research of the writer. Readers’ discretion is advised. Neither Student Cover nor the writer will be held liable for any wrongful interpretation of this blog’s content.