Fall semester is in sight, but the view is still a little hazy.
If it looks like you might be living in your room at home rather than in a dorm with your friends, you鈥檙e not alone. Many colleges are talking about offering online-only courses this fall.
As a rising freshman or sophomore, it may be hard for you to imagine spending $60,000 to take college classes in your living room next year.聽Unfortunately, even if your college starts the fall semester with in-person classes, there is no guarantee it will be able to remain open with the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Life Happens, Keep Learning
OK, so life isn鈥檛 working out as planned. Let鈥檚 consider the alternative: postpone fall enrollment at your current college and take a semester online at your local community college instead.
The idea is to save yourself money and time on your degree by taking your required general education courses online at a community college like the Mount.
Your credits will most likely transfer*
Don鈥檛 worry, you can still graduate with your diploma from your 4-year college. It鈥檚 common for community colleges to have transfer agreements in place with virtually all of the other colleges and universities in their regions.
“Since students can transfer their credits back to most 4-year institutions, choosing community college is an attractive way to stay focused on earning a degree while staying safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥� said Marcia Rosbury-Henne, Dean of Enrollment Management & Admissions at Mount Wachusett Community College. 鈥淲e’ve heard from a lot of students who are transferring into community college from a traditional four-year college or university simply because they want to minimize their tuition costs in this economy.鈥�
Your financial aid will go further
If you鈥檙e eligible to receive financial aid, community college is a great place to use it. Because the overall cost is lower, you鈥檒l need fewer aid dollars at community college than you would at a traditional 4-year college. That means you鈥檒l have less to pay back after you graduate with your degree.
Just keep in mind that financial aid only covers classes required for your degree. Before you enroll in a course, double-check to see whether it lines up with your major requirements.*
Community college has a lot to offer online
Mount Wachusett Community College has offered online classes for years and offers all the general education requirements you need. Lots of courses are already scheduled for Fall 2020, in disciplines like sociology, biology, history, calculus, English, and computer programming.
Did you know you鈥檒l always be taught by a faculty member at a community college, not by a teaching assistant? With smaller class sizes, you鈥檒l benefit from more personal attention.
In fact, community colleges pride themselves on putting students first – as you can see from this message recorded by the Mount鈥檚 faculty and staff.
It鈥檚 also a little known fact that community colleges bend over backwards to support students鈥� learning with free tutoring, strong online, virtual student clubs and organizations, and even career counseling.
Choose a short fall term or the full semester (or both!)
Flexibility is built into the course schedule at a community college since most students are balancing college along with work, family, and a social life. For example, this fall Mount Wachusett Community College is offering three ways to take courses: Full semester, Cycle 1 (early fall term), or Cycle 2 (late fall term). These cycle terms last just seven weeks each, but offer full-credit courses, just like the full semester.
- Full Semester: September 9, 2020
- Cycle I: September 9 – October 28, 2020
- Cycle 2: November 2 – December 23, 2020
Next steps
If you鈥檙e interested in enrolling for classes – or just talking with an admissions counselor, check out the items below.
- Apply: As an 开元棋牌 guest student
- Browse our course offerings:聽 our available courses for fall
- Transcripts: Submit your college and high school transcripts to our Admissions Office
- Financial Aid:聽Make sure your FAFSA for 2020-2021 has been submitted. If you haven鈥檛 done your FAFSA for this year yet, today!
- Contact us:聽Let us know you鈥檙e coming! Email admissions@mwcc.mass.edu
*Please note: Be sure to check with your university first before applying to the Mount to ensure your financial aid and program acceptance won鈥檛 be affected.
Let鈥檚 see if community college is a good fit for you this fall.
Even if you鈥檙e not planning to go to community college next semester, it鈥檚 worth checking into all your options. Take the short quiz below to find out if attending a community college is a good fit for you this fall.