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<p><b>I The Best Higher Education Value in America 1</b></p> <p>1 Why Community College Is the Smart Choice for Almost Every Student 3</p> <p>2 Affordable for All: Paying for Community College and Lowering Your Total Higher Education Costs 7</p> <p>3 Scholarships and Financial Aid 17</p> <p>4 It’s Not Where You Study, It’s What You Study: Why Everyone Should Consider a STEM-Related or Health CareRelated Career, and Why Community College Is the Best Place to Start 29</p> <p><b>II Great Community College Options—and You Can Choose More Than One 47</b></p> <p>5 The Smart Start to a Bachelor’s Degree: How to Use Community College as a Stepping-Stone to a Bachelor’s Degree 49</p> <p>6 Two-Year Degrees and One-Year Professional Certificates: Gateway Credentials to Great Jobs and Careers 69</p> <p>7 On Campus or Online? 81</p> <p><b>III Getting Ready for Community College 95</b></p> <p>8 What You Should Do to Prepare for College-Level Work if You Are Now in High School 97</p> <p>9 What You Should Do to Prepare for College-Level Work if You’re Going to Community College as a Career Changer 109</p> <p>10 The Placement Tests That Determine Where You Start in College 121</p> <p><b>IV How to Succeed in Community College 135</b></p> <p>11 If You’re Going to Community College Directly from High School as a Full-Time Student 137</p> <p>12 If You’re Going to Community College as a Career Changer: Juggling Classes, Homework, Your Job, and the Rest of Your Life 145</p> <p>Conclusion 159</p> <p>Appendix: The Higher Education America Needs: Win-Win Partnerships Between Community Colleges and Employers 161</p> <p>Appendix: Additional Resources 175</p> <p>Appendix: ACCUPLACERs Sample Test 183</p> <p>Notes 213</p> <p>Acknowledgments 217</p> <p>Index 221</p>

<p><b>THOMAS J. SNYDER</b> is the President of Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's statewide community college system and the largest singly accredited community college system in the country. While he was CEO of Delco Remy International, the company grew from $500 million to $1.3 billion in global sales. He has confronted the education-jobs mismatch from both sides, first as a highly successful business executive and now as an award-winning educator.</p>

<p><b>Get a good education minus the debt and enter a field that's actually hiring.</b></p> <p>In coming years, millions of great jobs will be opening up in growth areas like advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care, information technology, and sustainable energy. These jobs can pay as well as, or much better than, the average for four-year liberal arts graduates—and offer high levels of career satisfaction. And the path to all of them begins in community college. In <i>The Community College Career Track</i>, Tom Snyder gives young people and midlife career changers a practical guide to taking that path and completing it successfully. You'll learn:</p> <ul> <li>Why everyone should consider a science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), or health care related career, and why community college is the best place to start</li> <li>How to use community college as the smart start to a bachelor's degree</li> <li>Great, lucrative careers that only require two-year degrees or one-year professional certificates</li> <li>How to prepare for college level work whether you're in high school or you're changing careers</li> <li>How to thrive in a community college</li> </ul>

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