Online Community College Guide

Community colleges have long been a more financially viable alternative to four-year colleges and universities. There were more than 5.7 million students enrolled in public two-year universities in 2016, the American Association of Community Colleges reports. And with the rise of the digital classroom, more and more students are opting to enroll in two-year community colleges to begin their academic journey.

Community colleges are a great place to test the academic waters and save money at the same time. This guide was created to help students learn more about the online community college experience, from tuition costs to insight on how online learning programs work. Students can use this guide to determine if enrolling in an online community college is the right fit for them.

There are many reasons why students choose community colleges over four-year universities, but cost savings definitely is a primary factor.

Brandy Scarnati, program director for Truckee Meadows Community College’s WebCollege in Reno, Nev., says flexibility is a prime consideration for students who enroll at online community colleges. “A lot of our students work full time and have family responsibilities, but also would like to attend college to better their education,” Scarnati says. “By being able to take online classes, students can set their own schedule and study when they find time. Students may be able to fit in more classes into their schedule than if they were on a campus due to less travel time and the flexibility of completing the course work at home.”

Historically, community college students are a much more diverse demographic than the student bodies at four-year universities, and that holds true for distance learners as well.

Students at online community college typically fall into the following categories:

All of these student demographics can benefit from attending online community colleges.

Additionally, most community colleges have open admissions policies to help students easily begin their academic careers. This can be especially helpful for students who struggled in high school since they won’t need strong academic transcripts for admission like they would if they were applying at a competitive four-year university. Students also can benefit from taking classes part time so they can continue working full time to support themselves and their families.

Brandy Scarnati of TMCC in Reno says any prospective student can benefit from taking classes at an online community college. “Students take classes at a community college to receive their A.A. degree, which can be completed online,” she says. “Students also attend community colleges to gain the industry skills needed to receive a promotion or gain employment with a company. Students may also take online classes for personal knowledge and growth.”

First and foremost, prospective online students should understand the nature of the digital classroom.

Picture boot-camp style training at a fitness facility. An instructor barks orders and instills motivation to help people get difficult work done. That’s not the case with online learning – there’s no formal classroom, so it can be easy to slack off on responsibilities since students don’t see instructors face-to-face. Students are responsible for self-motivation, and they can easily fall behind if they don’t establish a proper study habits.

A highly flexible learning environment that allows students to pursue higher education at their own pace. That said, time management and self-discipline are at a premium. Distance learners also must possess a modicum of technological savvy, since online courses require use of a digital content management system and communication tools such as email, chat and even video conferencing.

Here are several other important questions prospective distance learners often ask about online community college programs:

Colleges deliver online classes in a variety of formats through content management systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas or Desire2Learn. The formats mentioned below are the most common delivery options:

There’s no set formula for the way community colleges choose to deliver online content. Students should check with their prospective community colleges about online delivery options and content management platforms prior to registration to ensure classes are delivered in a format with which they are comfortable.

Community colleges across the country help foster easy transition to four-year universities through transfer agreements with select four-year colleges and universities.

Students who’ve made the decision to enroll in an online community college should follow these eight steps as a checklist for what’s needed to become a distance learner.

Online learning is not for everyone. Following these five steps can help distance learners excel in the digital classroom.

Students need to be self-motivated and need good time management skills. Online classes are not typically self-paced. Students need to realize there will be assignment due dates that need to be followed. A myth is online classes are easier than traditional classes – this is not the case. In online classes students also have to complete interactive discussions and group projects. Students need to check into their online class frequently and participate in online classes in order to succeed.
Brandy Scarnati, Truckee Meadows Community College

Here are 10 resources all community college and online students can use.

American Association of Community Colleges