| ext">While spending four years at a prestigious | | | | seeking an associate of arts degree. Essentially, |
| university has its appeal, more and more students are | | | | coursework leading to an associates degree consists |
| discovering just how smart it is to complete their first | | | | of basic academic courses in mathematics, language |
| two years of college study at inexpensive, local | | | | and social and lab sciences. The advantage is mainly |
| community colleges. An associates degree from a | | | | cost; an associates of arts degree can be completed |
| two-year institution generally fulfills all the lower-division | | | | for substantially less than two years of lower division |
| (freshman and sophomore general education | | | | coursework at a university or four-year college. |
| requirements) when transferred to a four-year college | | | | Of course, a two-year degree taken at one of the |
| or university, allowing the student to enter with junior | | | | many local community colleges in your state also allow |
| class standing and focus on his/her major. | | | | one to complete those initial years of post-secondary |
| However, many community colleges also offer | | | | education close to home. If there is no community |
| certificate programs as well. Those who wish to enter | | | | college nearby, it may still be worthwhile to travel to |
| the job market in a short period of time or need to | | | | the nearest town or city in which such an institution is |
| train for a new career quickly will find certificate | | | | located. If you must go to a neighboring state — |
| programs that can quickly prepare a candidate for | | | | for example, you live in Hermiston Oregon, but the |
| employment as a paralegal, medical or nursing | | | | nearest community college is in the Tri-Cities metro |
| assistant, teachers' aid or other entry-level occupation. | | | | area of Washington State a few miles away — |
| Community colleges also offer computer training that | | | | you'll be interested to know that many of these |
| can transfer to nearly any skilled occupation today, | | | | colleges have reciprocity agreements, meaning such a |
| virtually all of which require some degree of cyber | | | | student will not be required to pay out-of-state tuition |
| literacy. | | | | and fees (which can be considerable). |
| Most who attend two-year colleges however are | | | | |