Value of a Transfer degree
Freshman Emily Dulceak dreams of being a comic book illustrator. Inspired by superheroes and armed with an incredible talent for drawing, she toured schools like Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) before making the financial decision to start at Lincoln Land Community College.
“In these schools, the main, general classes are available at LLCC. So I figured it would be easier and more beneficial moneywise if I could start here and then transfer, because art school can be expensive on its own,” she says.
Affordability
By attending LLCC for two years, Dulceak will save more than $70,000 in tuition alone — money she plans to use to put toward art school once she transfers. “I can throw it all at art school, and that would be a lot easier on me. I don’t want to get behind with student loans. I wanted a bit of a head start.”
Dr. Amanda Turner, LLCC director of student success, says cost and proximity are two important deciding factors for students. “We offer that affordability factor. We offer the close to home factor. Some students are working or have family obligations.” Living at home removes the additional college expense of room and board.
Quality Education
Besides affordability, a transfer degree from a community college ensures a quality education with classes taught by experienced faculty members.
“My favorite class was digital computer design taught by Thom Whalen. He makes it fun and easy to learn, and he’s the kind of teacher that interacts with students as he’s teaching,” says Dulceak.
Dr. Turner says students at community colleges get personalized support. At LLCC, that starts the moment a student enrolls. “LLCC has a reputation of preparing students for transfer. They may come here because of the cost, but what they also have are smaller class sizes, instructors who reach out and success coaches who know if a student is struggling and ask, ‘What can we do to support them?’”
Personalized Support
That one-on-one relationship with a success coach also helps students stay on track to transfer. “Our success coaches, in their very first conversations, will ask if a student is planning to transfer and if so, have they thought about where they might want to go,” says Turner.
Student success coaches are knowledgeable about transfer agreements. “LLCC works closely with the academic leadership at universities to make sure partnership agreements are up to date, so the university the student is transferring to and LLCC are on the same page,” explains Turner.
Not all receiving institutions have partnership agreements. In Emily’s case, SCAD and RMCAD do not. Turner says when that happens, student success coaches will help students research the institution to understand how they can best align courses to meet their transfer needs and to help students be aware of transfer admission counselors and transfer guides on the receiving school’s website. Turner calls it an ongoing conversation — another valuable reason for students to meet with their success coach at least once per semester.
Exploration and growth
Community colleges also give students a chance to explore new courses and majors without a huge financial commitment and to ease into student life and campus leadership. Turner can attest to that student growth. “They get involved in student organizations at a community college. It’s a little bit smaller, feels doable. Then you have this person who has blossomed and is going off and doing great things.”
In her first semester at LLCC, Dulceak made the President’s List — a fact she’s incredibly proud of. “That felt pretty great,” she says. “I think it’s because going to LLCC allows you to focus on the things you want to achieve.” For Emily, that’s becoming an accomplished comic artist and storyboarder.