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Is going to a more expensive college better than going to a college where you dont pay anything or is much less expensive?
im debating if to go to a college where i have to pay or the City college of SF where i wouldnt pay anything but dont know if there is a big difference between the two
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3 answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Brittany !
It is perfectly fine to go to City College of San Francisco for an Associates Degree where you stated you wouldn't have to pay tuition. Although there is no tuition there, the fees are $1,168. That is very doable. You'd also have to buy books and supplies depending on what you major in. I would advise attending there if they have a good program for your major. If you attend there, you would obtain an Associates Degree and then you can attend a different university for your Bachelors Degree. Your Bachelors Degree will be the thing, so there's no problem with that. The degree is what matters.
I will tell you my story in hopes that it is encouraging if you want to do college frugally. I attended California State University back in the olden days when the CSU system had no tuition. You read right. It was free back in those days. The fee was $99.00 a semester. I know, unbelievable. I obtained my Bachelors Degree and didn't have any problem obtaining jobs, both on the West Coast and the East Coast. I am almost certain that employers today are not micro-analyzing if an applicant went to a tuition-free college or if they paid a bundle for their education. All expensive colleges are just assumptions and generalizations that people conclude on based on what they know about the college and really, hundreds of thousands of students get their degrees at no tuition schools and do just fine. It is also very easy to transfer after your Associates Degree from CCSF to a CSU or UC, with nearby Universities granting guaranteed transfer.
The Federal Student Financial Aid System back then started including Loans for my Senior Year as one of the forms of aid they gave students. I didn't know the first thing about loans and they were tiny amounts (I mean miniscule). I accepted it and the payments were very small and paid off in four years. But now that they expect students to accept loans that put them in debt, there is something you can do to avoid the debt, especially if you go to a community college for an Associates and then get your Bachelors at a CSU or UC college. It's called Loan Refusal and you make it up with the other forms of financial aid plus scholarships and grants.
You can visit the City College of San Francisco's Financial Aid office on campus and inquire about Loan Refusal. Also, when you fill out your financial aid application, do not check the Loan option. If you receive a Loan regardless if you didn't choose it, bring it to the financial aid officer on campus and ask how you can refuse it. They will give you the instructions on what to do.
There are many more factors that will determine your employability and going to a free college is not one of them. More importantly, what will matter will be the degree itself, the field of work, the region you are seeking employment in and acing job interviews. No one is even going to think about how much a person paid or didn't pay for their education. They will be looking at your qualifications, experience, skills and how you present during job interviews.
So, if you want to go to CCSF, definitely follow through with it and start making plans now. Many community colleges offer great opportunities, experiences and personal growth and have positive challenges just like a university. The professors at all colleges and universities are professionals, accredited and expect the same dedication from students whether you're paying a small fee or a ton of money for tuition. Go with your instincts and do what is best for your circumstances.
I hope this is reassuring and I wish you all the best !
It is perfectly fine to go to City College of San Francisco for an Associates Degree where you stated you wouldn't have to pay tuition. Although there is no tuition there, the fees are $1,168. That is very doable. You'd also have to buy books and supplies depending on what you major in. I would advise attending there if they have a good program for your major. If you attend there, you would obtain an Associates Degree and then you can attend a different university for your Bachelors Degree. Your Bachelors Degree will be the thing, so there's no problem with that. The degree is what matters.
I will tell you my story in hopes that it is encouraging if you want to do college frugally. I attended California State University back in the olden days when the CSU system had no tuition. You read right. It was free back in those days. The fee was $99.00 a semester. I know, unbelievable. I obtained my Bachelors Degree and didn't have any problem obtaining jobs, both on the West Coast and the East Coast. I am almost certain that employers today are not micro-analyzing if an applicant went to a tuition-free college or if they paid a bundle for their education. All expensive colleges are just assumptions and generalizations that people conclude on based on what they know about the college and really, hundreds of thousands of students get their degrees at no tuition schools and do just fine. It is also very easy to transfer after your Associates Degree from CCSF to a CSU or UC, with nearby Universities granting guaranteed transfer.
The Federal Student Financial Aid System back then started including Loans for my Senior Year as one of the forms of aid they gave students. I didn't know the first thing about loans and they were tiny amounts (I mean miniscule). I accepted it and the payments were very small and paid off in four years. But now that they expect students to accept loans that put them in debt, there is something you can do to avoid the debt, especially if you go to a community college for an Associates and then get your Bachelors at a CSU or UC college. It's called Loan Refusal and you make it up with the other forms of financial aid plus scholarships and grants.
You can visit the City College of San Francisco's Financial Aid office on campus and inquire about Loan Refusal. Also, when you fill out your financial aid application, do not check the Loan option. If you receive a Loan regardless if you didn't choose it, bring it to the financial aid officer on campus and ask how you can refuse it. They will give you the instructions on what to do.
There are many more factors that will determine your employability and going to a free college is not one of them. More importantly, what will matter will be the degree itself, the field of work, the region you are seeking employment in and acing job interviews. No one is even going to think about how much a person paid or didn't pay for their education. They will be looking at your qualifications, experience, skills and how you present during job interviews.
So, if you want to go to CCSF, definitely follow through with it and start making plans now. Many community colleges offer great opportunities, experiences and personal growth and have positive challenges just like a university. The professors at all colleges and universities are professionals, accredited and expect the same dedication from students whether you're paying a small fee or a ton of money for tuition. Go with your instincts and do what is best for your circumstances.
I hope this is reassuring and I wish you all the best !
thank you so much for this, I made the decision to go to CCSF and then transfer but I still wasn't completely sure that, that is what I wanted, and knowing this really helps me understand and make my decision final and go to CCSF for two years and then transfer.
Brittany
You're welcome. You have an awesome plan !
Michelle M.
Updated
Grace’s Answer
Hi Brittany,
From what I can tell, CCSF is a junior college, meaning you cannot get a bachelor's degree there and will have to transfer to a 4-year university to complete your degree anyways. It may be valuable for you to consider if you want to go through the process of transferring and applying for college again in 2 years. The transfer process is different from initial application, but you should also look into the transfer acceptance rates for the school you want to go to, some programs accept a very small amount of transfer students each year so there is a possibility that you may not get accepted into the program you were accepted into now at the 4-year college as a transfer student. You should also see if your completed course hours would transfer to the 4-year college you want to attend. Your school counselor should be able to help you look into these things if you can't find them on your own.
You should also consider the total cost of attending each institution. If your parents will not be able to contribute any money, you need to be very aware of the amount of debt that would be necessary to complete your degree. Student debt is really easy to brush off while you're in school, but once you graduate and you see what your minimum monthly payment is and you see how much interest will accrue over time, it can be very overwhelming, even if you have a good job that allows you to comfortably make your minimum payments. I don't say this to scare you, but at 17 I don't think I fully grasped how serious student debt can be because most people I knew had student debt and it was just one of those "normal adult" things to me. Depending on your financial situation, it may be more feasible to save money for 2 years at CCSF and only spend the big bucks on the last two years of school. This should probably be the backbone of your decision.
One more thing I think you should consider is the community aspect of college. If you personally derive a lot of happiness from having a solid group of friends, a stable routine, and feeling like a part of a community, I would consider just going to the 4-year college if the financial burden isn't debilitating. I personally would have found it hard to uproot my life after 2 years and go to a new school where most of my classmates have already been there for 2 years. There are lots of transfer students at every university and they will have special transfer orientations and things like that to acclimate you to the school, but it would have been intimidating for me as I am not fond of big changes and like stability. Again, if the financial burden is too much, disregard this.
Definitely don't make this decision alone! Coming here with this question was a great step, but you should also talk with your parents, your school counselor, and any other trusted adults in your community. Hope this helps!
From what I can tell, CCSF is a junior college, meaning you cannot get a bachelor's degree there and will have to transfer to a 4-year university to complete your degree anyways. It may be valuable for you to consider if you want to go through the process of transferring and applying for college again in 2 years. The transfer process is different from initial application, but you should also look into the transfer acceptance rates for the school you want to go to, some programs accept a very small amount of transfer students each year so there is a possibility that you may not get accepted into the program you were accepted into now at the 4-year college as a transfer student. You should also see if your completed course hours would transfer to the 4-year college you want to attend. Your school counselor should be able to help you look into these things if you can't find them on your own.
You should also consider the total cost of attending each institution. If your parents will not be able to contribute any money, you need to be very aware of the amount of debt that would be necessary to complete your degree. Student debt is really easy to brush off while you're in school, but once you graduate and you see what your minimum monthly payment is and you see how much interest will accrue over time, it can be very overwhelming, even if you have a good job that allows you to comfortably make your minimum payments. I don't say this to scare you, but at 17 I don't think I fully grasped how serious student debt can be because most people I knew had student debt and it was just one of those "normal adult" things to me. Depending on your financial situation, it may be more feasible to save money for 2 years at CCSF and only spend the big bucks on the last two years of school. This should probably be the backbone of your decision.
One more thing I think you should consider is the community aspect of college. If you personally derive a lot of happiness from having a solid group of friends, a stable routine, and feeling like a part of a community, I would consider just going to the 4-year college if the financial burden isn't debilitating. I personally would have found it hard to uproot my life after 2 years and go to a new school where most of my classmates have already been there for 2 years. There are lots of transfer students at every university and they will have special transfer orientations and things like that to acclimate you to the school, but it would have been intimidating for me as I am not fond of big changes and like stability. Again, if the financial burden is too much, disregard this.
Definitely don't make this decision alone! Coming here with this question was a great step, but you should also talk with your parents, your school counselor, and any other trusted adults in your community. Hope this helps!
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Brittany
Updated
Fred’s Answer
Some random thoughts to consider...
"Better" is not a well defined term - especially for something like this. It all depends on your own specific wants, needs, desires, assets...and so on. What matters most to you will not be the same as someone else, so your definitions of "better" will be different.
Are you planning on getting an advanced degree later? If so, that may have a bigger impact than where you went to undergrad. For example, if you get an M.D. from Harvard, nobody will really care where you went for your bachelor's.
I don't know anything about City College of SF. But "free" sounds pretty good. Have you considered starting there, and maybe transferring later - after, say, 2 years?
Is CCSF a commuter school, or do they have dorms? Would you want to live in a dorm? Do you want the "college experience", or is saving money more important?
I'd suggest speaking to your school guidance/college advisor. You can talk through options with them.
"Better" is not a well defined term - especially for something like this. It all depends on your own specific wants, needs, desires, assets...and so on. What matters most to you will not be the same as someone else, so your definitions of "better" will be different.
Are you planning on getting an advanced degree later? If so, that may have a bigger impact than where you went to undergrad. For example, if you get an M.D. from Harvard, nobody will really care where you went for your bachelor's.
I don't know anything about City College of SF. But "free" sounds pretty good. Have you considered starting there, and maybe transferring later - after, say, 2 years?
Is CCSF a commuter school, or do they have dorms? Would you want to live in a dorm? Do you want the "college experience", or is saving money more important?
I'd suggest speaking to your school guidance/college advisor. You can talk through options with them.
Thank you so much!
Brittany