How Community Colleges Fundraise to Improve Campuses

Due to the financial challenges incoming students face, many local and state leaders are advocating for tuition-free community college programs. As community colleges strive to provide local residents with programs for certification, degrees, and training, many community leaders argue that tuition-free programs will help students to more effectively prepare for the job market without being subjected to excessive educational costs during difficult economic times.

This video offers one solution for making public colleges tuition-free.

The Tuition-Free Debate

As Diverse Community College reveals in their investigation, the county majors of both Knoxville and Memphis assert that residents of their communities should have access to free public education at local community colleges. Mayors A.C. Wharton and Mike Ragsdale of local Tennessee counties argue that, in utilizing the resources of scholarships and grants that are currently available, local community colleges can shift their current programs to create tuition-free pathways for incoming and current students. As Tennessee, along with most states across the country, are struggling with job losses and a struggling economy, Wharton argues that the shift for tuition-free programs is Tennessee’s attempt at creating a more effective and prepared work force: “‘We want to blast our way into being able to produce a world-class work force. You can't do that with merely a high school diploma.’”

By collaborating with community college and local political leaders, the Tennessee

While many young students often believe that a four-year degree will provide more excellent job opportunities and increased salary benefits, recent findings reveal that, in some cases, an associate's degree gives workers similar perks to their four-year graduate co-workers. In many careers, an associate's degree will provide students with enough preparation and experience to compete in the job market amongst other applicants with higher education degrees.

When deciding between pursuing a bachelor's or an associate's degree, students should reflect on their desired career pathway and then review the data and information to determine which degree will be the optimal vehicle for their professional destination.

Evaluating Time and Cost

Many students seek ways to cut higher education costs in times of increased tuition costs and tight economic constraints. For many students, pursuing an associate's degree may yield greater financial returns, as associate's degree programs may be completed in just two years. On the contrary, bachelor's degrees typically require four years of study; therefore, an associate's degree can sometimes cost $80,000 less than a bachelor's program. As an associate's degree can be completed in a shorter period, leading to a decreased tuition and coursework cost, associate's degrees can provide many students with realistic educational pathways to accommodate unique financial, scheduling, and other personal constraints.

Adding to the advantage of a shorter and less expensive educational opportunity, individuals who choose to earn their associate's degree can also transfer some of their credits to a university if additional coursework is

Many community college students enter their first year of higher education without a clear career pathway. In such cases, many students approach their impending graduation date only to realize their decided career choice requires additional education and certifications from a four-year university.

In such cases, many community college students can take advantage of roll-over opportunities, where cooperating universities accept community college coursework as transfer credit. By transferring credits, students can save money and time and often graduate from their chosen university with far greater efficiency.

Transferring Credits

According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 71 percent of community college students intend to, at some point, pursue a baccalaureate degree. Adding to their data, studies from the Center reveal that approximately 20 to 50 percent of new university students are transferring students from a community college.

This brief video explains transferring credits from a community to a four-year college.

As a rising number of students are both interested and often required to pursue longer courses of study, many community colleges and universities strive to create more streamlined transfer programs to provide students with enhanced support.

Seeking Cooperating Institutions

When looking into transferring community college credits, experts assert that the earlier a student can make plans and arrangements, the better his or her transition may be. As eCampusTours supports, “Choosing a transfer school as early as possible

Whether students choose to study theater and performance as their major, or students simply want to pursue acting as a part-time hobby, community colleges provide students with an array of performance opportunities. With formal audience-based stage events, and small-circuit drama clubs, students can become involved in the study and practice of acting, drama, and theater by engaging in some of the diverse opportunities at local community schools.

Acting and Theater Opportunities

Seminole Community College (SCC)

At Seminole Community College, students can engage in an array of performance opportunities with the SCC Theater Program. Here, SCC “Combines the education and expertise of an outstanding faculty with a well-rounded curriculum that is built on the foundation of a liberal arts education.” During the instructional school year, students are provided with multiple opportunities to act and perform on stage, while students can also participate by working in one of the many technical positions. These hands-on opportunities are designed to provide students with faculty and expert guidance in order to prepare students for their futures in the performance arts.

As SCC asserts, the greatest benefit and advantage of their unique program is, “The opportunity for immediate student involvement both onstage and backstage. From set construction to sound design, we stress active participation from our tech students and those interested in performance.” If working on the technical elements of theater, students will gain experience by utilizing equipment, learning about the different responsibilities, while also learning the