Transferring to a four-year school a challenge for some

The American River College website lists four simple steps for transferring to another institution from from ARC: choose a major, select a four-year institution, meet with an ARC counselor to plan coursework, and apply during the appropriate filing season. For some students, this process may not be as easy as it sounds.

“The biggest challenge of transferring is the cost of books and living expenses,” said Ricardo Espitia, a social work major at ARC.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 12 percent of full-time, first-time students who began in Fall 2009 transferred to another university from ARC.

The price of one college unit at ARC is $46, and most classes are between 2-5 units according to  the ARC website. The estimated cost of living for a full-time student for the 2013-2014 school year is $11,426 if living with parents, and $17,412 if living on one’s own.

For students that are paying for their own college education, this can be a hefty price tag. Some students can only afford to go to school part time, which delays the transferring process.

Other students may find it difficult to get into the classes they actually need to transfer. Class size is limited and if a class fills up students may have to either wait another semester to enroll or commute to another campus to fulfill their requirements.

California State University and University of California applicants might not be able to transfer right away due to deadlines and restrictions that limit the number of applicants.

According to the Sacramento State website, the number of admitted applicants for spring 2014 will depend on “available resources.” Students who apply for spring semester may have to wait until the fall for admission.

And for some working students it can be hard to balance coursework and personal lives. Students with additional responsibilities outside of school may be limited in the amount of classes they can take.

“It’s difficult balancing between school and work,” said Ryan Burke, a 21- year-old chemical engineering major. “I usually can only take 9 units at a time.”

Whether it’s the high cost of a college education, limited class offerings for those that are necessary to transfer, or trying to balance outside life with school, transferring to a four-year university can be a challenging process.