Pulaski

The cheapest way to get a bachelor's degree in the US is to spend upto 2 years at a CC doing the generic stuff, broadly comparable to getting A levels, then transfer to a "4 year college"/uni for two years to get your bachelor's degree classes. Just make sure that your CC class credits are transferable.

leepne

I'm looking at the possibility at getting a job in the tech industry, but not coding!

I've been told the best bet would be 2 year community with 2 years UC school or similar, would this be best?

Pulaski

That's what I described above - the degree you would get is indistinguishable from one where you spent four straight years at 4 year college/ university, paying much higher fees.

scrubbedexpat091

Yes if you wan't to save money and are no concerned with the so called university experience.

The first 2 years at a university is just basic stuff you over pay for, so why do it, save the money 2 years at CC then transfer to your desired school. California community colleges are well versed in students transferring to California public universities so they can guide you through the process to ensure your taking the correct courses.

The degree at the end is the same as those who started off at the 4 year school and paid more.

carcajou

Yes, and some students also go the CC route when their high school qualifications are not good enough to get direct entry into Name Brand State University. Many states also have laws specifying that state universities must accept a certain percentage of in-state community college transfers who have AAs (the diploma you get after 2 years in community college). So you can go into a CC for 2 years, re-apply at Name Brand State University, and stand greater odds of being accepted since you are competing against a pool of other CC transfers rather than the applicant pool at large.

The reason for this, and the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuitions, is that in the US, the states and localities provide the vast, vast majority of education funding. The federal government only provides about 7%. So the states advantage their residents as they are the ones paying for it.

DebzinUS

The web site is fine, and yes, this is a VERY busy time of year for colleges and universities. As others have already stated Community College is a great way to get the first two years out of the way before transferring to a university to complete the baccalaureate degree.

When you meet with admissions you need to ask about articulation agreements. It looks from the website you posted that the college has an agreement with CSU (Cal State system?) The first 60 credits are completed at the community College, and the remaining 60 credits are completed at the university. When there is an articulation agreement in place, the student is guaranteed admission to the university, assuming the student meets all the articulation requirements, usually a prescribed course of study, and a minimum GPA.

petitefrancaise

Like others have said,it is perfectly acceptable to start out at a community college and transfer into a university of california program. You will end up with a UC degree.

Seek a counselor's appointment, they will look at your UK credentials and tell you if it's worthwhile getting them evaluated ( by NACES.org according to the college website). It looks like you have to be resident in California for 1 year to qualify for in-state tuition fees. Again, ask the counselors. The counselors are the ones with all the knowledge about requirements, tuition fees and loans. If you are seeking entry for the autumn, then take a look at the FAFSA form and requirements. Most colleges use the FAFSA form to determine financial aid eligibility and to just enter your information into their system.

Generally,you will need to have met minimum entry requirements for the course you wish to study. Do yourself a favour and just speak to the counselors at the college, most course administrators only deal with run of the mill applicants and will have no idea how to handle something out of the ordinary.
What course did you want to register for?
This page gives the pathways for entry to a UC degree....
Major preparation | UC Admissions

carcajou

Just a quick follow-on note about fees:

Read, very carefully, the section on how they determine who is "in state" vs who is "out of state." This is called "residency for tuition purposes" and most states mandate that you have lived in the state a certain amount of time BEFORE applying for entry to the college to get "in state" tuition. In most cases it's only something like a year - but time does not accrue while you are in school (ie, if the requirement is one year, and they deem you 'out of state' - you will pay 'out of state' tuition the whole four years).

Financial aid staff can explain this to you.

It is very rare for someone to go out-of-state to a community college, but pretty normal for someone to go out-of-state for a university.

leepne

The problem here then with "living in a state for a year" is anybody who has become a permanent resident holder will have to wait a year before they can go to college (or pay the out of state fees for 4 years).

carcajou

That's the fine print, yes. But each state controls its own policy, and there may be allocations for new visa holders etc which is why OP needs to speak to the financial aid office. They will have conclusive information.

petitefrancaise

Leepne, you may well find that you have to do "pre-requisites" prior to applying for your course. These can take a year. You really should go asap to speak to the counselors - ask if they have someone used to dealing with international applicants. They will tell you what the possible pre-requisites are and then you can see if any of your previous work will count. They are high-school level courses and may well be cheaper as well as dual credit - give you credit towards your degree. They may also not require in-state residency (ask) for a year.

Rete

If I'm reading you correctly, then you are under a misconception. The year starts the moment you enter the US and set up residency, not the minute you get your LPR / green card status. They might consider the moment you entered the US as the starting point of your one year of residency. They might not accept that but will definitely accept the start date as the date you married.

You have your interview appointment already setup with the college, so you can find out at that point when exactly the residency period started.

PetrifiedExPat

I believe you are right, I did not realise the extent of the courses offered. Seems like a good choice for the OP if costs can be kept down.

md95065

No.

As this website is very careful to point out, the laws in California that relate to eligibility for in-state tuition have their own definition of what "residency" means. (the website is from San Jose State University, but the rules for community colleges are the same.

petitefrancaise

Well,Rete is correct.
The website you showed actually fudges the issue.

This one https://students.ucsd.edu/finances/f.../criteria.html

does not fudge it at all because they clarify "intent"
"Intent to become a California resident
Demonstrate through objective documentation that your physical presence was coupled with the intent to make California your permanent home. Intent is evaluated as an independent element of residence, separate from physical presence, and is demonstrated by establishing residential ties in California, and relinquishing ties to the former place of residence.

You must demonstrate your intention to make California your home by severing your residential ties with your former state of residence and establishing those ties with California. If these steps are delayed, the one-year duration period will be extended until you have demonstrated both presence and intent for one full year.

Indications of your intent to make California your permanent residence include:
California driver's license or a California ID Card
Voter registration card or affidavit from Registrar of Voters
California-based bank accounts or CA branches based in other states
California car registration and car insurance card
Paying California income taxes as a resident, including taxes on income earned outside California
Housing contracts, monthly rental agreements, lease or proof of property ownership
Credit and memberships with California merchants, religious affiliations, clubs, gyms
Proof of your belongings moved into California such as moving van, bill of lading
Proof of utilities established in your name such as phone, gas, electric, and cable TV
Designating California as your permanent address on all school, employment, and/or military records
The absence of these indicia in other states during any period for which you claim residence can also serve as an indication of your intent. Your intent will be questioned if you return to your former state of residence when the university is not in session. Documentary evidence is required and all relevant indications will be considered in determining your classification."


Physical presence
"Residence determination dates
The residence determination date is the day instruction begins at the last of the University of California campuses to open for the quarter. (For schools on the semester system, the day instruction begins for the semester.)

To be considered a resident of California, you must establish your physical presence at least 366 days prior to the dates below in addition to all other requirements listed on the website. Additional residence determination dates are available through the UC Office of the General Council's website.

Fall 2017: September 28, 2017
Winter 2018: January 8, 2018
Spring 2018: April 2, 2018
Fall 2018: September 27, 2018"