For Many, Community Colleges Offer Best Bang for Buck

Students and educators say any stigma is fading from the nation's community colleges. A growing number of students are choosing 2-year programs to find high-paying jobs—in fields where businesses are actually hiring.

For Edgewater resident Emily McDonough, her $1,600 semester tuition at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is not only a steal in the world of six-figure higher education price tags—it’s a chance to grow socially and professionally while balancing work, school and family.   McDonough, a South River High graduate, got into a couple colleges but ultimately chose AACC for a variety of reasons—one of the biggest being money. "Aside from from the cost benefit, a huge plus for me is definitely being able to stay home with my parents," McDonough said. "I'm getting home cooked meals, sleeping in my own bed and I can stay in my friends' dorms on weekends when I feel like having social life."  Despite a recent leveling off of enrollments, …

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