How is a community college different than a university?
In Florida, community colleges offer two and four year undergraduate programs, and certificates that can be completed in less than a year. Universities also have four year degree programs, as well as graduate programs where students can earn master’s or doctoral degrees. If getting your Ph.D. is a goal, you can still do that. You can start at a community college and transfer to a university. In fact, if you start at SF you’ll save a lot of money. But that’s not the only benefit of attending a community college. A lot of undergraduate classes at universities aren’t actually taught by professors. They’re taught by graduate students. Every class at Santa Fe College is taught by a professor, and instead of having hundreds of students competing to ask questions in a giant lecture hall, our classrooms typically seat about 30 students. This allows for inclusive classroom discussions and one-on-one relationships with professors.
Local jobs for local graduates
While the Associate in Arts degree is the top choice for students transferring to a university, SF’s certificates, Associate in Science and bachelor degrees are specifically designed to prepare students to enter the North Central Florida workforce in higher-demand, higher-wage fields. Ninety-six percent of SF graduates find a job or continue their education after graduation.
Certificates and Apprenticeships – C.C.C. and C.T.C. Career and Technical Certificate (C.T.C.) and College Credit Certificate (C.C.C.) programs are often paired with paid apprenticeships and many can be completed in six months. Credits earned with a C.C.C. can be applied towards SF’s A.S. and bachelor’s degrees.
Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science – A.S. and A.A.S. Two-year degrees for students training to enter the workforce with a competitive skill set. Credits earned for most A.S. degrees can be applied towards an SF’s bachelor’s degree. See advisor for details.
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Applied Science – B.S. and B.A.S. Four-year degrees for students building the foundation for a lifelong career. Degree offerings are specifically designed to meet the workforce needs in North Central Florida.
Degrees that don’t require debt
Getting a college certificate or degree is an important milestone in developing any successful career path, but there’s no reason why it should put you thousands of dollars in debt before you earn your first paycheck. Whether you choose to earn an associate degree and then transfer to a university, or stay at SF and finish your bachelor’s degree, the cost will be a fraction of what you would pay spending four years at a public or private university. Federal financial aid is available to help pay for tuition (apply early to receive maximum benefits, new forms come out every October). There are also hundreds of scholarships offered by the SF Foundation, find them on our website by searching “Ways to Pay.”