In addition to general liberal arts education, community colleges offer a range of certificates in vocational, technical or pre-professional career fields. Some non-degree training certificates may include firefighter, emergency medical technician (EMT), medical assistant, early childhood specialist, office professional, accounting clerk, computer technician and building inspector.
To support non-traditional or working students, classes are often available in the evening and on weekends. Many community colleges also offer televised courses and online, web-based courses. At many campuses, high school students are able to access community college classes while still in high school.
Community colleges serve a broad demographic of students. As of 2009, the average student at a community college was 28 years old, female, a minority, first-generation college student, who worked at least part-time while attending school full-time. In addition to financial aid, community colleges often provide additional supports to low-income students in the form of adult basic education, remedial classes, onsite child care, and easy access to public transportation.
Tuition and fees at the traditional four-year university average approximately $7,020 , compared to the $2,544 cost for tuition and fees at a community college, a savings of 63.7 percent. Though education at a community college is less expensive, approximately 30 percent of all community college students receive federal financial aid in the form of the Pell Grant and most students work at least part-time.