College can be expensive and is often a substantial factor in deciding where to pursue your higher education. The Outlook editors reflected on why students opt to attend community college for two years, then transfer into a four year program, as well as their opinions on the Brookdale Community College partnership that provides Brookdale students grants and scholarships if they transfer to Monmouth.
Some editors have experience with transfer credits, coming to Monmouth from different universities while other editors participated in dual enrollment during their secondary education.
One editor recalled their experience of transferring, saying “I lost 10-12 credits when transferring. And it wasn’t just 400 classes, but many intro classes that needed to be retaken here. That also meant taking winter and summer classes just to catch up on credits. Only now, in the fall semester of my senior year, am I on track to graduate with someone who has been here since being a freshman.”
One editor reflected on taking advanced placement classes in high school. They said, “Transferring those credits was a big deal, because it meant I had to take less core classes in college.”
“I transferred credits from high school, which was a big help because it took away general education courses that I would not want to repeat,” said another.
Students attending community college and transferring to another university can be common. One editor explained, “I came to MU right away but I understand that finances can be a big restriction when choosing to wait to enroll in a four-year college program. As a result, I see a lot of people go to community college.”
They continued, “I know many people who have gone to community college due to academic reasons including trying to improve grades before going to a more expensive school.”
Another editor shared that they know people who attended Brookdale for the two-year program. Some did it for financial reasons and others looked to ground themselves after leaving high school.
They said, “The community college experience is very different from jumping straight into university. In my opinion, it’s a safer experience—a way to find yourself and your passions before pursuing a full bachelor’s degree.”
Some editors are worried about how the student body will react to this partnership.
“Allocating hundreds of thousands of dollars to scholarships for students just because they are transferring could be seen as pretty unfair to students who could have gotten that money based on performance academically or athletically,” one said.
Another editor agreed, “ If a student believes they can save money by going to Brookdale and then receive money in a scholarship to attend Monmouth, why would anyone feel the need to pursue their high level education at MU from the get-go?”
One editor disagrees, believing that scholarships offered to transfer students are a way to put students first. “Monmouth is expensive, just looking at the tuition; when factoring in housing, dining hall, etc., it’s a mouthful for those interested in transferring. The scholarship funds mentioned make the transfer pathway feel supportive, not just transactional,” they explained.
“Monmouth’s partnership with Brookdale is definitely the right thing to do… The streamlined credit transfer already removes the ambiguity of what the student is losing in credits,” another editor said.
One editor is concerned about where the funds for the grants and scholarship are coming from. “If this money is coming from donors specifically donating for this cause maybe I can see it but overall, I feel like there is so much the university could invest in within its programs, clubs, technology, and campus life,” expressed a concerned editor.
With the same sentiment, another editor said, “Speaking from experience, if a student is not a transfer, I could see them being quite upset about this. Tuition continues to increase year after year, and the student body is always complaining about fund allocation, so they might just view this as another ‘waste of funds.’”
One editor concluded, “I am hoping the general student body will view this as a positive development… making the transfer process easier is always a positive.”