University students, most falling under Generation Z, are facing difficult decisions in terms of this upcoming fall semester. Universities across the United States are having to change from completely in person styles of instruction to hybrid or online teaching methods because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of these universities are still charging the same or minimally reduced tuition costs, thus causing students and families to consider community college as a more financially sound option.

Community colleges are in many ways better able to handle the financial struggles which come with a pandemic. One reason being these colleges don’t have to rely on residence halls as a large stream of revenue. This is unlike large four-year universities which may be greatly impacted by a loss of residence hall revenue because of a virtual semester. Community colleges’ average costs are also much lower than universities which can be beneficial for those whose finances have been negatively impacted from COVID-19. More local, community colleges are becoming an increasingly popular choice for those who don’t want to completely withdraw from higher education while not wanting to pay high tuition rates for virtual education at more prestigious universities. 

Learn more about the increasing popularity of community colleges in the Chicago Tribune.