Everyone knows one of the biggest reasons to go to a community college is so you can save money when you transfer to get a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
There are, of course, other reasons to start at a community college, like small class sizes, individualized attention, better access to resources, and the opportunity to explore your interests before committing to a major, to name a few.
But seriously, we did the math, and it鈥檚 kind of amazing how much money you can save by starting at a community college, like NHCC, and then transferring to get your bachelor鈥檚.
Spoiler: If you get an AA degree at NHCC and transfer to the U of M, you could save $18,532 on tuition alone!
Example 1: NHCC to the University of Minnesota
Let鈥檚 say you want to get a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University of Minnesota鈥檚 Twin Cities campus, and you鈥檙e interested in business.
NHCC has a Business Transfer Pathway that allows you to earn an associate of science degree, which is a great option for transferring to business-related bachelor鈥檚 programs at Minnesota State universities. Courses in the Business Transfer Pathway can transfer to universities outside the Minnesota State system as well, but if you speak with an academic advisor at NHCC, they鈥檒l tell you to enroll in the Liberal Arts AA program if you want to transfer to a bachelor鈥檚 in business at the U of M.
So, you鈥檒l need 60 credits from NHCC to get a Liberal Arts AA degree.
Then, you鈥檒l need 60 credits from the U of M to complete a bachelor鈥檚 in business.
Tuition and fees for 60 credits at NHCC: $12,204
Tuition and fees for 60 credits at the U of M: $30,736 (2021-2022 tuition)
Total: $42,940
Now, what if you get all 120 credits from the U of M?
That would be $15,368 per year, for four years, which totals: $61,472
$61,472 (120 credits at the U of M)
-$42,940 (60 credits at NHCC and 60 credits at the U of M)
Amount you could save starting at NHCC: $18,532
$18,532 is no joke!
Hint: This number goes up fast when you compare starting at NHCC to starting at a private university. For example, if you got an AA degree from NHCC and transferred to St. Thomas, rather than starting at St. Thomas, you could save up to $74,050.
Example 2: NHCC to Metropolitan State University
Let鈥檚 run the same scenario at Metro State.
Metro State is within the Minnesota State system, so your academic advisor may advise you to complete the Business Transfer Pathway AS degree.
You鈥檒l need 60 credits from NHCC to get a Business Transfer Pathway AS degree.
Then, you鈥檒l need 60 credits from Metro State.
Tuition and fees for 60 credits at NHCC: $12,204
Tuition and fees for 60 credits at Metro State: $18,790 (2021-2022 tuition)
Total: $30,994
Now, what if you get all 120 credits from Metro State?
That would be $9,395 per year, for four years, which totals: $37,580
$37,580 (120 credits at Metro State)
-$30,994 (60 credits at NHCC and 60 credits at Metro State)
Amount you could save starting at NHCC: $6,586
Student Loan Debt
As someone who has a significant amount of college debt, I can tell you that lowering student loan debt by $18,532 or $6,586 would be a total game changer for anyone.
The debt I have from my education is worth it because education changed my life and I literally benefit from my education every day. That said, if you talk to anyone who has student loan debt, they鈥檒l tell you that having less would be life changing.
The Only Way This Works
The scenarios above where you could save $18,532 or $6,586 by starting your bachelor鈥檚 degree at NHCC only work if your credits transfer into your bachelor鈥檚 program.
Ok, so how do you get your credits to transfer?
You work with an academic advisor from day one.
When you work with an academic advisor at NHCC, they鈥檒l help you narrow your goals and determine the best path to achieving them.
NHCC鈥檚 academic advisors specialize in different areas. That means if you want to get a bachelor鈥檚 in business from the U of M, you can work with an advisor who鈥檚 familiar with that transfer process and can advise you on what classes you should take to ensure your credits transfer.
鈥淭he sooner students figure out where they want to go and what they want to do, the better we鈥檙e able to work with them on selecting courses that will fulfill the transfer requirements,鈥 said Carmen McGahey, Academic Advisor at NHCC.
More to the Story
Yes, you can save a lot of money on tuition by starting at NHCC and transferring to get a bachelor鈥檚 degree. But there鈥檚 more to the story of why starting at NHCC might be your best option for getting a bachelor鈥檚 degree.
If you start at a university and don鈥檛 know exactly what you want to pursue, you鈥檒l be paying more for classes while you figure it out. NHCC has 70+ degree and certificate programs, so you can explore a lot of subjects before committing to a path.
Students at NHCC tell us they like the smaller campus and community vibe. Plus, there鈥檚 a ton of support and easy-to-access resources available to students at NHCC.
NHCC has partnerships with several universities, which gives students the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree at NHCC.
If you鈥檙e like me and your high school GPA was less than stellar, you might not be able to get into the university you鈥檙e interested in. I started at a community college, got my GPA up, and then transferred to a university.
NHCC meets students where they鈥檙e at. That means, you can start here, work with an academic advisor to plan your path, turn your goals into reality, and save money in the process.