Benefits of Enrolling at a Community College
There are over 90,000 other international students in the
US! In fact, the Institute of International Education (IIE)
reports in its publication “Open Doors” that international
student enrollment at community colleges has increased
over 10 percent in past years. This means that more
international students are choosing to begin their
undergraduate education in the U.S. at a community college
rather than at a four-year college or university. Dr. Jill
Biden, the wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and an ESL
instructor has stated:
“Community colleges are uniquely American -- places where
anyone who walks through the door is one step closer to
realizing the American Dream. These schools are flexible
and innovative. For that reason, countries around the world
are looking at community colleges as a model to increase
workforce preparedness and college graduation among their
own citizens. Community colleges are uniquely positioned
to provide the education and training that will prepare
students for jobs in the 21st century.”
Benefits of Enrolling in the YFU Community College
Program
••YFU students will have a host family or dormitory life
experience in addition to an academic experience.
Having the support of a family will help the student to
adjust and assimilate more easily into the American
culture.
••Community colleges provide excellent advising and
counseling programs so that the student’s adjustment
to higher education and everyday life in the U.S. is
eased.
••Community colleges interact regularly with their
local communities, which means the student has the
opportunity to get to know and understand life in the
U.S.
What is a Community College?
The community college is a uniquely American phenomenon
that offers education and training beyond the high school
level. The diversity of America’s communities is reflected in
these 1,200 institutions. President Barak Obama has stated:
“One of our most-undervalued assets as a nation is our
network of community colleges. These colleges don’t just
serve as a gateway to good jobs for millions of middleclass Americans; community colleges also serve as a pool
of talent from which businesses can draw trained, skilled
workers. “
Community colleges in the United States enroll more
than 10.5 million students annually and several hundred
thousand students continue their undergraduate education
at a four-year college or university upon completing a twoyear community college degree.
Community colleges also have the following characteristics:
••Each YFU Campus Coordinator will design and
implement a Cultural Enrichment Program to educate
YFU students about the cultural and historical aspects
of the local community and regional area.
••Community oriented – They exist to serve the
educational, training, and cultural needs of the
community in which they are located.
••YFU Campus Coordinators at each college also design
and implement several orientations throughout the
year and provide ongoing support to students and host
families.
••Accessible – They strive to keep the costs for
the student low and try to locate themselves at a
point where 80 percent of their students are within
commuting distance.
••Community colleges provide smaller classes that
allow students to interact with their peers and their
instructors and receive more individual attention.
••Student centered – The student is their primary
concern. Because of this, there is an emphasis on
advising, counseling, guidance, developmental
education, and student services.
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