Destination USA: Exploring Community Colleges

Today we are going to focus on community colleges, the benefits of studying at these institutions, and how you can do additional research to learn more about community colleges.

Hyderabad: After graduating from high school, students have an option to pursue their higher education in the United States at a public or private university, specialised institutions, or community colleges that provide accredited programs.

Today we are going to focus on community colleges, the benefits of studying at these institutions, and how you can do additional research to learn more about community colleges.

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A community college (also known as an associate’s college) is a higher education institution that offers two-year programs leading to an Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree.

Community colleges and 4-year degree offering institutions often develop special agreements for the transfer of credits and degrees between them. A student can follow the ‘2 2 model’ where they can earn a bachelor’s degree by completing the two-year associate degree at a community college, and then transfer to a university for the final two years of study to get a bachelor’s degree.

There are many 4-year degree offering institutions that offer merit-based transfer scholarships to community college graduates.

Here are some benefits of studying at a community college:

• Community colleges offer significantly lower tuition fees than 4-year institutions.
• The admissions requirements are more flexible and many have rolling deadlines.
• Community colleges provide academic, English language assistance and cross-cultural programs including tutoring, advising, career planning, study skills, and counselling that are designed specifically for international students.
• The small size of classes at community colleges can be highly beneficial for international students as they adjust to the pace of U.S. academic life and practice their English-language skills.
• International students who earn an associate degree at a community college are eligible for one year of Optional Practical Training (OPT).
• Community colleges have close links to secondary/high schools, community groups, and employers in the local community which can benefit students for their career development.

Once students have defined their priorities and identified the factors most important to them, they can research and narrow their options for community colleges. It is important to check each institution’s website for information about the programs, application procedures, academic departments, on-campus facilities, and other topics.

To search for institutions by your subject of interest, geographic preference, or by other criteria, students can visit https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/ and https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search
To do additional research about community colleges, students can also visit the website of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC): https://www.aacc.nche.edu/

Please visit the U.S.-India Educational Foundation’s website to learn more about studying in the United States: https://www.usief.org.in/Hyderabad.aspx

• Phone/ Whatsapp: 91-8008462712/8008465712/ 8008462560
• Email: usiefhyderabad@usief.org.in | hyderabad@educationusa.org

– U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad