For high-school seniors, applying to college can be a most stressful and frustrating time in their lives. It’s a combination of filling out forms, writing essays, and worrying endlessly about a school’s reply. To top it all off, less-fortunate students have to dig up funds to pay for school. For those students in particular, a strong option exists: Montgomery College. MC is a local community college that is often blown-off or overlooked by students who have the potential to get into four-year universities right out of high school. However, seniors should not look past what Montgomery College has to offer academically and financially. Here are three big reasons why Montgomery College should be on almost every high school students’ list of potential schools.

MC provides students with university-level education and guidance. Montgomery College attracts students from not only all over the state, but from overseas as well. It offers a wide variety of associate degrees and courses for students to find their niche, while earning key “general education” credits.

Financially, Montgomery College is a wise choice for those who do not have the money to enroll at the universities they initially wished to attend. The school makes itself easy to afford for everyone with its low tuition fees and generous financial aid. In-county tuition for MC averages around $4,452, compared to most in-state tuitions for four-year schools in Maryland at around $8,247. After attending MC for two years and transferring, one can expect to see a large savings in comparison to those students who attended a four-year school right away.

Finally, students should take note of the process of transferring after two years of a full course schedule. Montgomery College’s counselors provide students with the tools and information to satisfy general-education credits and focus on their major once leaving for a four-year university.

Montgomery College is not only a no-brainer safety school, but it can also be a guiding light for students with shaky financial and career plans. The school is one of the best two-year colleges in the nation, and it backs that up nicely by the opportunity students have to attend the school.