Brice Lawrence

There are many career options out in the “real world”, and college helps students get there. There are many college options, too. Four-year colleges are the most popular, but little do people know that the two-year colleges are equally opportunistic.  If they’re both equal, what’s the knock on community colleges these days?

On average, Van Buren will send about 10-20 students each year to Owens Community College.

“I think the big advantage that students have [at two-year colleges] is the tuition costs,” said guidance counselor, Mr. Zender.

A four-year college’s tuitions aren’t something that people want to pay off for a long period of their lives, and Alex Bleile certainly chose the community college route for the first year. One year at Owens will cost around $3,000 and one year at any four-year colleges can cost up to $30,000, or even more.

Bleile chose to transfer to Bowling Green next year for the money and the flexibility of the class credits, stating “the classes I have taken this year at Owen’s are able to transfer so I don’t have to retake them at BG.”

Bowling Green, Findlay and Toledo have their own offices at the Owens campus, making it easier and more reasonable for students to transfer to the local four-year colleges. Zender also noted that a student can transfer from Owens to Ohio State, or even private colleges, and the credits will transfer.

Owens is known for admitting basically everyone in, granting  people their requests to transfer to other colleges, and allowing older people to come back and finish their degree. To get into a community college like Owens, you must obtain your high school diploma. Zender stated that if you only get a 1.5 G.P.A. in high school, you will have to take entrance tests and they will probably put you in the lower-level classes to get you started.

Owens is also flexible to fit around your schedule. “[Owens] is a lot more flexible for those who are working,” stated Zender. “Typically Owens’ curriculum is going to be a bit more manageable than a four-year school,”  stated Zender.

College costs money, and working around 27 hours a week, Bleile also enrolled at Owen’s because he “wanted to get used to the college classes.” Bleile can easily do his job and go to school at Owens, and he plans to save up and make easier payments towards his tuition at BG.

Owens does, however, have some disadvantages.

“A lot of kids think it is kind of an extension of high school,” stated Zender. “There are a lot of extracurricular activities, but not very many people get into them.”

Two-year colleges are also a minority choice at Van Buren, and according to Zender, there will be about 80-85 percent of students going off to four-year colleges. Community colleges also lack the true ‘college experience’, by allowing students to live at home, taking the campus life and activity down a few notches.

Owens can help anyone and everyone find their own way out into the “real world.” It allows people to come back a few years after they have finished their two-year stay and finish the rest.