by Alicia Wanek
How can you save tens of thousands of dollars on the cost of a college education? You can apply for scholarships and grants, but what if there was an even simpler option?
How about starting at a two-year college institution like Richland College? A Dallas county resident can take a full schedule of 12 semester hours for only $708. Compare that to a public university like the University of Texas at Austin where the same 12 hours will cost you $4984. Looking at a private institution like SMU that number rises to a whopping $22,347, not inclusive of the general student fee. Still, the cost of tuition is only part of the big picture; there are books, housing, food, and transportation costs to consider. A student may consider living at home for those two years. If so, the total estimated cost for a traditional 9-month academic year for an in-county resident at Richland, including tuition, books, room & board, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous expenses is only $8593. If they live in off-campus housing that figure rises to $14,632, but at UT-Austin that estimate is $26,626. The savings of an education at Richland, or any other Dallas County Community College District two-year program, is exceptional, but so is the value.
There are many benefits to attending a two-year college program. Richland offers small class sizes to allow for close relationships with instructors – no 300-student courses here– and there are many opportunities for individualized instruction like the Richland Learning Center where students can get one-on-one tutoring for a wide range of courses absolutely free. Richland also offers a smooth transition to students wanting to go on to a four-year university through their UTD Comet Connection program. Students can seamlessly transfer their course credits and can benefit from the UTD Guaranteed Tuition Plan. Details are available from Richland’s Financial Aid office at rlcfa@dcccd.edu.
Most students take the same core curriculum subjects the first two years of college. Consider doing so for one-third the cost and be no less prepared for your future.
For more information, visit richlandcollege.edu.