How to Save Money on Your Temple University Education

If you are looking to earn a Bachelor's Degree from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, then you may want to consider attending your local community college first. You can save a lot of money by attending a community college before attending Temple University.

Temple University has what is known as "core-to-core" agreements with many community colleges. What this means to you is that you can start your education at the community college, paying community college tuition. You can either talk to the transfer coordinator at Temple University, or at your local community college to find out which specific classes to take in order to transfer smoothly to Temple University.

In many cases, such as at Bucks County Community College, you can earn a scholarship from Temple University of up to $2,000 for transferring with a high grade point average. Usually these grade point average requirements will be at or above the 3.5 mark. This is an incentive that you would not have had if you had gone directly to Temple University.

The difference in tuition can be in the thousands of dollars. Where as a full academic year at Bucks County Community College costs roughly around $3,000, a full academic year at Temple University can cost over $10,000. That can make a big difference in your ability to finish your degree, not to mention your being able to pay back student loans.

You needn't be worried about your degree seeming less desirable either. After your 60 or so credits at your community college are completed, you receive an Associate's Degree. Your Associate's Degree will be issued by your community college. However, once you transfer and complete the remaining requirements for your Bachelor's Degree, you will receive your degree from Temple University.

This is important to note because many people do not attend a community college because they think that it might make their resume seem less notable than that of someone who spent all four years at Temple University.
There are some small drawbacks to spending the beginning of your post secondary education at a community college. For one, you will be entering a new, and vast, school in your third year. There will be students on campus who already have relationships with professors and understand expectations and nuances of the staff. These students will also be more familiar with the layout of the school. Temple University does, because of the large number of transfer students, make all new students, not just freshmen, attend a two-day orientation on campus.
In the end it will come down to a personal choice. Which option is best for you, higher cost and more familiarity or lower cost and a little catching up?