Two-year colleges, also known as community colleges or junior colleges, are tertiary institutions that play a crucial role in providing higher education among students. There are numerous community colleges in the United States, and they train students on skills necessary to join their first entry level job. Two-year colleges often serve their surrounding communities and sometimes act as bridges, transitioning students from high school to four-year colleges or universities. Two-year colleges have a rich history in the U.S and date back to 1850. During that period, very few public universities offered comprehensive higher education to the public. However, some of them offered students two years of college education, for instance, the Lasell Junior College in Auburndale, Massachusetts. The education offered in two-year colleges then ranged from offering teachings that emphasized the middle class’s values at the time and on developing a model citizen. Therefore, the system was ideal for producing school teachers who would require such knowledge to train their students. Ever since then, junior colleges have continued to expand and change over the years. Nowadays, community colleges play a crucial role in providing higher education opportunities, especially among students who traditionally have not made a full-fledged four-year college degree.
Community colleges offer an opportunity for students to transition well into college education. For many students in America, the idea of joining campus is terrifying. College education for many young Americans involves the possibility of moving away from family, adjusting to a new way of life outside your comfort zone, and even for some, the fear of taking loans to finance their education. Community colleges offer students a way to ease into the college experience by offering a feel of how higher education is closer home. Students can enroll for part-time classes in the colleges as they slowly transition to prepare for the possibility of joining colleges. Also, for the students who wish not to take debt to pursue an education, community colleges offer them opportunities to take a course without the risk of significant financial strains associated with earning a bachelor’s degree since they can transfer credits to their desired campus and only pay tuition for two years. Also, owing to their small size, the teacher-student relationship is significantly enhanced compared to that of a four-year college. Such a situation would allow students in the community college to have more comprehensive teaching since the teachers can adapt teaching to each student’s specific needs.
Community colleges allow for education to reach social groups that are otherwise disadvantaged. Community colleges exist to serve the communities around them. They are affordable and accessible to the community members who, due to their social class, would be unable to attend a four-year course. For instance, a college education is relatively costly for students from poor backgrounds in the United States. This fact makes it nearly impossible for many poor students to attend college like their counterparts. Community colleges bridge this gap by offering low cost higher education opportunities for otherwise disadvantaged students. By doing so, community colleges continue to ensure that literacy levels remain high in the country while also providing equal opportunities to students from different backgrounds to earn their degrees.
Community colleges provide instruction in skills that are tailor-made to meet the needs of local industries and various work fields. Community colleges train students on vocational skills that would help students fit into the workforce of their respective communities. Hence, industries benefit from the local talent that emanates from the community colleges, as they would give to source far from their area to get skills. Vocational training is also crucial for industries which would wish to retrain their staff on new concepts. Community colleges offer a fast way to do so, and at an affordable cost since most community colleges have low tuition than four-year colleges. Therefore, in a larger context, community colleges contribute to the economy of their respective communities and, as a result, the country.
In conclusion, the existence of community colleges has greatly diversified the provision of higher education. The importance of higher education cannot be downplayed, especially in the U.S, where skilled labor is needed to ensure the country continues functioning optimally. By providing the bridge for many people who would otherwise be locked out of college education, community colleges achieve their objectives. Also, community colleges are giving opportunities to the marginalized communities and first-generation students who wish to achieve a tertiary education. The colleges are also providing versatility for students who would want to gain a college experience before applying to the colleges they would wish to be part of. Therefore, two-year colleges offer a different perspective on the provision of higher education in the United States.