Why Do Students Transfer From Community College?

College is a huge investment. The working world is full of people with college degrees, and the job marketplace is becoming scarce for those without them. A degree is the foot in the door, so to speak, for most jobs; in fact, many places will deny upper level positions without at least a Bachelor’s degree and prior experience. Students spend thousands of dollars every year on books and classes, which will help them achieve a degree in their desired field. For many, starting at community college gives incentive to pick a continuing education because it costs less than regular universities. Because most community colleges are only 2-year institutions, students can take classes there and then transfer to a university of their choosing, but only
This is problematic because many students choose to go a non-traditional route, by taking lower-level credits at the community level and then transferring them to their university of choice. Due to state standards, there is almost always the possibility that credits one has taken at a previous school will not transfer to the new school, resulting in, essentially, wasted money on precious ventures. Millennials, the current generation taking up most of the population of colleges and universities all over the country, are working their way through college, working tirelessly day in and day out to pay for classes that will result in a good future. Compared to their generational predecessors, millennials are less fortunate with their pay to school debt ratio, as inflation has not been even when raising the cost of living and school prices. (Graf, Hodara,
Such a decision can mean the difference between a life of relative ease - having a well-paying job that pays one’s bills and provides for one’s family - or a life of hardship - having a low-paying job that keeps one living paycheck to paycheck and wondering where money will come from to pay bills and other important expenses. Working for a retail establishment at the lowest level, because the lower level jobs do not require degrees, does not pay the mortgage. It does not help ends meet. Having a degree though? It is a necessity to get better-paying jobs, and those who invest in them are generally better off for them; however, the ones who are not should not be penalized for their struggles either. The job marketplace is a jungle. It is a fight for survival, and, to survive in this world, most people need to work. College is expensive. It is so expensive that the current generation in college is going deep into debt and financial hardship. Starting at community college and moving up to a university is common practice, but sometimes the credits from community do not transfer to university. Sometimes, students have to retake classes, and no transfer agreement can save them that money or that time they already spent. The logical solution to this issue is to propose an intensive revision of transfer agreements in the United States. Such an agreement would have to encompass all schools, everywhere. Every person deserves to