"More than 6.5 million students attend approximately 1,200 community colleges throughout the US, according to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). That's close to half of all undergraduate students," The Christian Science Monitor reports. "Over two years, a community-college student living at home can save an estimated $28,100 compared with a student who attends and resides at a state university. For parents worried that their student's selected college may no longer be affordable given insufficient college financial aid or sudden reverses in family finances, community colleges may provide a welcome alternative until a new college financing plan can be patched together. Not only do these schools offer classes that fill requirements at four-year universities, they also educate 60 percent of new nurses and credential 80 percent of firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMTs. In addition, 41 percent of these schools offer online degrees, increasingly popular for mid-career professionals."