Taking Classes at a Community College While Enrolled in University?

I'm currently at a university, but it's pretty expensive. I'm thinking about taking some classes at a community college to save money. Has anyone done this? How do you handle the credits and make sure they transfer back?

You're touching on an option that many students use to try and cut costs in their higher education. Here's what it typically involves:

Firstly, figure out which classes you'd like to take at the community college that align with the requirements for your major at the university. This can involve introductory classes, elective classes, or other types of classes that your university tends to offer at a higher cost.

Secondly, determine if the credits will in fact transfer. You'll want to confirm with your university's registrars' office or academic advising department whether these credits will transfer back to your degree. Some schools even have a 'transfer equivalency' database where you can check how credits will transfer from a variety of schools.

Thirdly, once you're in the clear and know that your credits from the community college will transfer, enroll in the community college. You'll want to check about the application process and deadlines to make sure you don't miss your opportunity to apply.

Finally, once you've completed your class, make sure to request an official transcript from the community college to be sent to your university so the credits can be applied to your degree. Some classes might not count toward your specific major requirements but could fulfill general education requirements or elective credits.

Pro-tip: Keep a syllabus or detailed course description from the community college course. These can be handy to have in case the university needs further details to assess whether to grant credit or not.

One potential downside is time management - juggling coursework in two institutions can be challenging, so make sure you're confident that you can handle the workload from two sets of courses.

Just take note that policies can vary widely between institutions so your first step should be to speak with an academic advisor at your university to ensure you understand how the process works and to make sure the class(es) you're considering will indeed transfer over successfully.