When it comes to college, you're looking at an expensive proposition any way you look at it.
However, there are ways you can significantly reduce your overall expenses when it comes to earning a college degree.
The first method, which in many cases is the most preferred, is to attend a community college for the first two years of your college education experience.
Believe it or not, you can literally save thousands of dollars over the course of two years at a community college.
You will hear all sorts of arguments why it is better to complete all four years of university.
Universities almost always make these arguments. Unfortunately, their opinions are a bit biased in these matters.
Most universities offer equivalent courses to community colleges, which means the first two years of study should transfer without problems or hiccups on the rocky road to your degree.
Universities make money every semester you start as a student. It is in their best financial interest to have you from the start rather than as a transfer.
In fact, many universities offer lower level classes as auditorium classes.
They cram more students into classes and have fewer professors or grad students teaching the courses, and they maximize their money from freshman and sophomore years rather than upper-level courses.
Another reason to consider a community college for the first two years of your education.
Going back to community college costs, most community colleges are predominantly commuter campuses.
This means you won't face the high housing costs associated with universities, especially if you're attending college close to home.
Community colleges also offer far fewer distractions that cost extra money than most large universities.
That's not to say there aren't plenty of social opportunities; it just means there are fewer of them. It also leaves fewer distractions than universities when it comes to studying.
Community colleges simply cost less everywhere. While it would be nice to be able to get a full four-year degree at this level, they are able to largely keep costs down by not requiring the level of qualifications that universities require of their professors for higher level courses.
You will have an excellent, if not higher, quality of education at lower levels than you would at university level, but you will also eventually need to transfer to university level to complete your education.
For this reason, you would do well to save half of your college savings for each of the two years you attend community college and apply it to your college education.
This will ease the burden of additional university costs, and you will feel as if you are paying the same amount for tuition throughout your education, regardless of literally saving thousands of dollars in educational expenses.
Some states have education savings plans that allow parents to save on tuition at current costs by enrolling.
These plans cover two years of community college education and two years of university education. By locking in today's prices, you eliminate inflation.
When you consider the fact that college tuition is rising at an alarming rate, this is by far a great way to go.
You should check with your state to see if they offer a similar plan to parents of younger children and what the requirements are to enroll your child today.
If you are looking for real value in an education, whether you only go for a two-year degree or not, transfer to a university to complete a four-year degree, you should find that a community college education offers significant value for money.
Most people find that every penny they spent on community college was a penny well spent.
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