## Welcome and why community college is a strategic first step [00:00] Okay. Hi everyone. I'm Coach Angelique and I'm so excited you're here. Today I am going to be sharing why starting at a California community college may just be the smartest, most strategic first step you can take for your future. Whether you're looking to transfer to a top university or jump into a great career quickly, this session is for you. Okay. So, I'm Angelique. Coach Angelique is what most people call me with a T. I've been in the education uh space for over 10 years as a counselor, professor, and instructional designer. I earned my doctorate in uh from USC in educational psychology and my master's in counseling. I've supported hundreds of students through transfer uh graduation and career planning. And just personal notes, I do love spending time with my family, working on, you know, side projects, learning new skills, learning AI and coding, just special skills on my own, and giving back through volunteer and community work. All right, so here's what we'll be covering today. So, uh, we'll be covering why community college is a smart financial move, the kind of a quick overview of the transfer pathways unique to California, quick career program options, some success stories, um, and a checklist to help you plan your 2-year journey. Okay. And just a disclaimer, when it comes to our stories, we do make sure that we don't uh provide any um personal details. So there is so it is pseudonyms and just um some personal details have been shifted. Okay. So let's go ahead and dive in. All right. So think of community college as a launchpad. Okay. It's flexible, affordable, and designed to help students transfer. Okay. Uh a couple stats here. So about one in three UC grads started at a California community college and tuition. Um oftent times we're seeing families save up to 30 uh potentially 30% uh starting uh starting at the community college with tuition running about $1,400 um compared to the $14,000 that we see at a UC. It's a great way to save roughly $25,000 and get a head start um in your curriculum. Fantastic numbers, right? So, some myth busting. So, most of the time we hear students and families refer to community college as just a fall back or a safety option. ## What most families get wrong about the 2-year path [03:00] And we want to make sure that we bust those myths because that's not true. Um, the reality is there's many programs offered in the community college space that help students guarantee transfer and also open up opportunities for students that may not be completely sure what goals they have for themselves. Programs like the TAG program for the UC's provide guarantee admissions to six other UC's. Um, the ADT, so the associates degree for transfer pathway helps students transfer to universities as well. um as well as honors to honors programs which focus in on our top tier universities like UCLA and Berkeley. Um another myth that we hear is that you'll fall behind your peers and this is something that we don't want you to worry about because participating in some programs like mentioned um as well as additional programming at the community college that can help guarantee that you stay on track with support. um to get you to transfer to those top spaces. Okay. And so here are some pathways to transfer. California leads the way in the transfer system. There is, you know, no doubt that the California education curriculum is one of the strongest in our nation. and um that trickled from our wonderful UC's and top universities all the way down to our community college spaces. Okay, we lead the way when it comes to transfer and also become kind of a road map or a template for many out ofstate transfer programs as well. Okay, so one program I want to highlight or a couple programs I want to highlight is the UC TAG program. So, the transfer admission guarantee provides a guarantee um admission to six of the UC campuses, which includes some of our most popular uh UC's, so Davis, Irvine, and Santa Barbara. Um the guarantee does have some criteria that you need to make sure you fulfill, but it also ensures that you guarantee um into particular majors as well as guarantee your junior status once you transfer. Going this route also helps ensure that you get priority ## UC TAG, CSU ADT, and Honors to Honors pathways explained [05:30] consideration for housing, which is something that we don't often think about when we're in the transfer process, but it's quite important and it does often impact the success of our students. Another program I want to highlight is the CSU ADT program. The associates degree for transfer streamlines um the 60 unit transfer guarantee to the CSU Cal State system and that includes the Cowpoly. So CowPoly Slow and Cowpoly Pomona. This is a guarantee admission as well into some um competitive programs that are often challenging to get accepted to. But one of the big boost here is it actually offers a boost in your GPA. So amazing if you're on that cusp. It also guarantees your junior status once you transfer. So with the certification of your transcript and this is something you would speak with your community college counselor um in admissions team to ensure that you achieve and you also get priority registration for classes once you enroll there. And the last program I want to highlight is the honors to honors programs. And um this is really geared towards our top universities like UCLA provides priority admission as well as additional um mentorships and guidance into a successful transition. Okay. And so as I'm talking about these pathways to transfer um I'm going to refer to assist.org or a couple times throughout our presentation today, but it's a really health helpful tool um to check what classes, what courses actually count before you enroll. And so it's unique to California schools, but it's a really really helpful tool um to ensure that you're on track, especially in between those meetings that you may be having with your um advisors. Okay. So, community college isn't just for transfer. It's also a fast track to the workforce. So, whether you're into computer um computer uh opportunities such as cyber security, digital media, or you're going on the practicum based like nursing, you can finish under two years. especially for our high achieving um high school students that are enrolled uh like dual enrollment or have strong AP scores and be job ready. It's ## How to build a two-year plan with guaranteed transfer [08:00] also a way for you to stack credentials um that allow you to earn in your career or in an entry-level career path while you're learning and developing uh your skill set into a bachelor's or beyond degree. So there are options especially in the community college space. Not sure what you want to do yet? Community college lets you explore. And this is something that we recommend to students especially those that aren't too sure where they want to start. And so uh STEM students can start on an engineering uh computer science biology health science path. non- STEM students can explore uh business and public service or arts and humanities. And these are some examples of kind of majors or tracks that are commonly available at the community college. The great thing about starting at the community college is that is it is flexible. It's a lowrisk way to figure out what fits um your goals and make sure that you are aligned in the classes and you're able to be successful. Okay. So, we have some success stories that we want to mention and so um we have students Matteo. So, uh he started as a high achieving high school student. He was um part of dual enrollment at his high school, which means that he was taking classes at his local community college or on campus with community college instructors. Um he probably had strong AP classes as well and got some units there and before graduation from high school was able to accumulate 15 units which is not bad especially when you are um excelling in high school. instead of going straight to university, he actually decided to continue on the community college track. That allowed him to participate in a tag program, which um he decided you can only tag one university. So, he decided to tag um UCR, so UC um Irvine, and transfer in their computer science program with a guaranteed junior standing. And so, he did have to maintain a 3.8 8 GPA but um based off his history he was able to do it successfully. While going through this pathway he was also able to land an internship which allowed him to graduate debtfree. So uh community college gave him options and saved him and his family a lot of money along the way. ## Real student examples from digital media to computer science [11:00] Okay, next we have Jada. And so Jada's experience is a little bit different. Um, so she also started at the community college after graduating, but she wasn't sure what her path would be. And instead of going straight to university and testing out classes and accumulating that student loan debt that we hear so much about, um, she actually started focusing in on passions she was interested in. And so she enjoyed digital media and enrolled in a certification program that led her to build a freelance business that allowed her to explore her um options and also build a clientele which then led her to want to complete her bachelor's. And so with um her previous experience, she was able to participate the in the associates degree for transfer, so the ADT program and transfer to Cal State's Long Beach. Um go Beach. She combined creative work with academic success, showing how community college can fuel your passions and future. It's definitely a fun uh more creative outlet, especially for students who aren't too sure or students that are exploring more of a design or artistic um career path. Okay. So, how to find the right path? And so you want to start, if you haven't already, start talking to your high school counselor. Um, especially if you have some, uh, community college advisors available to you. I would start talking to them early. A great way to start for our high school students is to take a dual enrollment class. This can allow you um, exposure and exploration to what is offered at your local community college. Um, you also will be able to get some support in using the assist.org um sites to track transferable courses with the early um enrollment and exploration. We would encourage you to explore honors programs as they do open a lot of doors and then that would lead you to choose your transfer goal early. So whether it's a tag, a tap or an ADT pathway and as I'm sharing this information, if you're like this is a little bit overwhelming, um our team is also very much verse in these opportunities. So they could definitely support you and guide you to um some alternative options alongside your um university goals. ## How career certificates create immediate earning power [14:00] And so here we have a quick road map, a two-year road map for transfer students or transfer um um exploration. So if you want to stay on track, this is where we would want to make sure that you follow. Um and I say that loosely because this is putting not putting into consideration any dual enrollment classes or AP coursework that you may come into the community college with. And so in your first in your first year, you want to make sure you set your transfer goal. Um that is probably the biggest thing. Um because oftent times if students don't have that goal kind of identified or even just have um if you have any inclination that you want to go to university at some point, it will be helpful to make sure that you identify that goal early on. It's something that does impact financial aid that you may receive at the community college as well as it will guide the counselor in approving and removing prerequisites for appropriate classes. So, you're not just taking any class, you're making sure that you're taking transferable classes. You want to also meet with a community college counselor. And so while our coaches are here to support you, the biggest thing here is like we don't have access to your courses at either your high school or your community college. So meeting with them early allows them to come up with a comprehensive educational plan that will lay out all the courses you need to take. So when planning um you're not planning for each semester, but instead you have a full map of all courses you need to take while you're at the community college. Um then we would also want you to join any of the transfer honors programs. And so with all this information, they would be able to help you apply or um find out what is the process of participating in these groups. Um and then we also want you to start exploring internship opportunities in that first year. Okay? And so it's a lot going on in that first year. So you're probably joining clubs. you're getting used to the new environment. Community college is such a diverse space and so you have students of all learning backgrounds. And so these are all things you want to make sure you put into consideration in that first transitional year. In your second year that is um similar to high school during that fall semester, you are going to be applying for TAG or ADT or TAP opportunities. So, it's going to be important that during fall you are keeping track of deadlines. You are also researching scholarship opportunities. And yes, even transfer community college students um can be recipients of scholarships. Many community college foundations also offer scholarships for their students. So, we ## Exploring majors before committing to a 4-year degree [17:00] want to make sure that you are exploring all opportunities available to you. And in that fall term, you want to make sure you finalize what schools you want to transfer to. Okay, some of the like specialized guarantee programs do have a limit of what schools you can identify. So, just keep that in mind and keep communication with transfer advisors available at the community college. In year two, um during the spring term, that's when you're going to want to make sure that you complete all the remaining requirements. So, think of year two as senior year. Um, you want to make sure you have all the 60 units completed by the end of the semester. That's also when you're going to be applying for financial aid at the transfer institution. And that's also when you're going to be applying for graduation at the community college. All really fun stuff. Okay. I also want to highlight some hidden perks of attending community college. And so there are so many benefits people don't often talk about. One being the smaller class sizes. Smaller class sizes mean that you have more support. You get more one-on-one time with professors and instructors and a lot of industry professionals. Um instead of being lost in those large lecture halls that we often see in freshman and sophomore classes. Uh you also have flexibility in scheduling and so a lot of community college um spaces do offer daytime, evening, hybrid, and online classes and even some weekend options. And so this is great for students who are working part-time, exploring other interests, or helping out at home. And um the last and definitely not the least benefit and perk offered is career services. And so you will have access to free career centers that you can come back to even after you transfer. Um they help with job placement. They also help with resume and interview support um in training and workshops and they also have an alumni connection and just connections within local businesses to help ensure that you find um opportunities while you're a current student and also after you transfer. Okay. I say all of these opportunities, but the biggest one is the lower debt, which gives you freedom to choose your next steps without financial stress. And so I think one of the biggest perks that we see at the community college is while it has such a a supportive and diverse environment, it also provides students and families the opportunity to explore um while staying on track without the financial burden. ## How to track transferable classes using assist.org [20:00] So I did see a question. I will jump to questions at the end. Um and so when we talk about the next steps, it's important also just to kind of highlight some of the return on investments. So, while we've mentioned that you can save uh on average $25,000 before transferring to the university, many community college graduates also land highpaying jobs in um many industries that are in high demand like in technology. So whether you are hoping to transfer or you want to go straight into the workforce before identifying your your um your educational plans, you'll have a degree that does um validate your skill set. Okay. And so the next steps in the process, it's going to be important that you connect and visit your local community college if this is something you're interested in. You want to ensure that they have the programs you are interested in. So whether it is digital media, um cyber security or engineering, make sure that they have the resources available to you. Um and that also means any type of supportive environment. So tutoring, uh mentoring, things like that. Meet with a transfer counselor sooner rather than later. And so whether you're connecting with one of our coaches, connecting with your high school counselor, or going straight to the community college, start a dialogue early so that you can ensure that you have the right resources and materials to make an informed decision. And last is explore transfer resources. So I've mentioned quite a few times assist.org and I'm going to mention it one last time. Utilize the resource to rearch uh research uh what classes you should be taking at the community college and what um equivalent course is at your um ideal or your uh top choice university. Oops. And key takeaways here. Community college can save you money. That's something that we want to make sure we keep in mind in this whole process. A lot of these resources are also going to be available for dual enrollment students. Not necessarily the transfer guarantees, but that's saving on coursework because of the transfer ability. You can transfer directly to top universities from um community college participation in pathways like TAG, TAP, ADT, and honors programs. Um there are career ready programs that pay off fast. So like I said, we see many students successfully uh achieve their uh certificates and go into the workforce and there's also real success. So 30% of UC grads started at community college. And so it's important to keep in mind community college is a launchpad and not just a fallback plan. Okay? Let's make sure we're strategic, especially in the changing climate in the financial space of schools. Okay. And so I'm gonna open up to questions. I did see a question. Um, how does the quality of instructors compare on average between community college and the first two years at the UC? And so there was a follow-up on here. I heard many times UC's have uh TAs teaching courses during the first two years and they may not be as good. And you're absolutely right when we're looking at the UC space. The UC system has so many students and often the first two years especially that first year freshman year ## Tips for finding the right campus, counselor, and programs [24:00] a lot of lecture halls have one a lot of sections and nearly 100 plus students enrolled and oftent time those first two years are um taught by TAs or graduate students and so they're still under the supervision and guidance of the full tenure professor but that one-on-one connection with that professor is often limited And so, um, when it comes to the community college, what we often see is you have instructors who teach at universities, um, top universities, UC's, private schools. Um, I think of many of my colleagues in the past being full professors at USC, um, UCLA and teaching at the community college for a variety of reasons. And so, you do get the quality of instructor. An added bonus is oftentime space because research isn't required of their faculty, you have a lot of career professionals with real hands-on experience. And that's sometimes different than at the UC space because often at the UC space we see professors with amazing research background but not often um the equivalent career experience. Great question. Any other questions? And you can go ahead and add them to the chat as well. All right. So, with that, it's been amazing um speaking with all of y'all and sharing some amazing resources that I also want to really highlight our Eagle Lock services as well. And so if you have any financial aid questions or you want to speak with some of our financial aid experts, Coach David is available to help guide and support you on your options when it comes to financial aid regardless of your financial situation. And so you would just go ahead and scan the QR code on the screen and you can go ahead and schedule some time with Coach David. And lastly, I've mentioned throughout the call today um meeting with our amazing coaching team at Eagle. And so if you are interested in learning more how we can support you um and your student journey, you can go ahead and book a 15minute assessment with one of our advisors by texting book at uh the phone number on the screen. Okay. And I will keep it up for another minute. Okay. And thank you so much everybody for joining me today in our conversation about community college and all of the wonderful benefits and perks offered to you. Um, my name again is coach ## The financial perks of smaller class sizes and flexible scheduling [28:00] Angelique or Dr. Angelique and I look forward to hearing from you and your students um and being part of your success journey. Have a great evening everybody. Awesome. Thank you All