Community College and Student Debt

Community College Saved Me from Student Debt

Look at the picture

Read the questions

Think about the topic

Pre-Reading

What are college expenses like in your country?

In the U.S., a university education can be very expensive.

Many people go into debt (by getting loans) in order to pay college tuition.

Is higher education worth the debt that students must take on?

This author explores an alternative to high university tuition.

Read and Pronounce

Read the article below to your tutor.  He / She will listen and correct your pronunciation.

“As a first generation and low income student, pursuing higher education was a barrier in more ways than one. My biggest fear was drowning in debt for the rest of my life, knowing that I had to put myself through my entire college career. Like many others in my situation, I had to be smart and most of all – realistic – about my financial circumstances as I took my first important steps down an unknown and uncertain path. I decided to attend community college. Thanks to this decision, I am one of the few that can proudly say I am free from student debt.

Community college is not a second class education. It’s a first class opportunity. Many people underestimate community college but thanks to it I have $0 in debt. When I enrolled in junior college I took my lower division prerequisites that were needed to transfer to universities and it saved me a fortune.”

This is an excerpt.  See the full article here.

Source:  Odyssey

Author:  Susan Aziz

Read the text aloud to your tutor. Your tutor will listen and provide you with feedback.

Talking Points

Do you agree with the author about community college education?

Is a university education “worth it”?

Is there a correlation between high tuition and high quality education?  What do you think?

What is the “trade-off” for getting a university degree?

What are some other ways to save money when going to college?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Talk with your tutor about this topic.

Use the expressions and vocabulary you learned.

Use the related resources below to learn more.

More Practice

Role Play

1. Pretend you are a parent discussing financial issues with your college-bound son or daughter.

Have a conversation about various ways to finance a college education, e.g. loans, scholarships, part-time work, etc.

2. Pretend you will talk to a bank officer about getting a loan for college.

What questions do you think he/she will ask you?

How will you be prepared to answer those questions?

Vocabulary Words and Expressions

extracurricular

game plan

burden

crisis

dilemma

drown(ing)

endure

enroll(ing)

Ivy league

millennials

pantry

prerequisite(s)

scholarship(s)

struggle

supplemental

vital