If you haven’t heard by now, the California State University system comprised of 23 campuses across the state of California has announced it will be conducting classes remotely for the fall 2020 semester. With no signs of lowering tuition costs, many students feel enrolling at a CSU campus to take online classes will not be worth it for the fall 2020 semester. Tuition costs are often justified by the in-person campus services a university provides such as library use, campus gym, and athletic facilities and stadiums. With those services gone, many students feel they will not be receiving the proper return on investment to pay a full semester’s tuition.
If you are one of these students who feels it is not worth it to pay full tuition for online learning, then there are some options available to you. The following alternatives are options available if indeed you do not want to enroll at a CSU this coming fall 2020 semester:
Community College
If indeed you do not want to fall behind on your degree completion date, community college may well be an option for you. If you have not finished your general education requirements, attending a community college is a great option that will save you thousands of dollars. While indeed California community college courses will be online, they will be much less expensive than attending a California State University. Make sure to double check with assist.org to make sure which community college courses are transferable to your CSU.
Defer Enrollment
Newly admitted Freshman and Transfer Students can possibly defer enrollment for another semester. Deferring enrollment means that you do accept admission to the university, but plan to enroll for another semester. For example, say you were accepted for the fall 2020 semester, you can accept admission but enroll until the spring 2021 semester. Every California State University has different defer enrollment rules so make sure to reach out to your school’s Admissions and Records office as well as your specific major department.
Transfer Out of State
California is not the only state in the country and CSUs are not the only universities available. Many universities across the country will indeed have in-person classes this coming fall semester. Schools like Colorado Mesa University and Central Michigan University have already publicly declared they will hold in-person classes for the fall 2020 semester. If you always wanted to go to school out of state, but needed a good reason to go, now may be your chance.
Take a Break
College is expensive and can be mentally exhausting. Whether you are a sophomore or a senior, there is no need to rush graduation if indeed you are not ready. You can take a semester off without a penalty by filing a ‘leave of absence’ with your school. As someone who took there time to graduate from California State University, Northridge (6 years), I can safely say taking my time was one of the best decisions I ever made. It gave me time to gain valuable internship experience, earn an on-campus job, network, and allowed me to enjoy the college experience longer. If you feel overwhelmed with classes, your job, and life in general…there is no better time to take break than the fall 2020 semester ♦
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