Hello! Due to the bad economy, high school seniors are opting out of four-year colleges and going to community colleges  or considering going to the military to save money.

• Scholarships trump school status.
Roughly 57 percent of college-bound students are considering a less
prestigious institution because of affordability, according to an
October study by MeritAid.com, a scholarship-finding website.

• Delaying college for at least a year isn't out of the question.
Some 16 percent of students are putting college on hold because they
don't think they will be able to afford it, the MeritAid.com research
shows.

• The military is, more than ever, a viable option to pay for college.
Terry Howell, managing editor of military.com, a website for the armed
forces, says the number of Google searches for the site's military
aptitude practice test tripled between December 2007 and December 2008.

• Community colleges and trade schools deserve a second look.
Both types of schools are seeing spikes in enrollment from students of
all ages looking for cheaper — and quicker — educations. Community
colleges are reporting unprecedented enrollment increases, according to
the American Association of Community Colleges. Enrollment in technical
schools is at an all-time high, says the Association for Career and
Technical Education.

What do you think about this trend? Do you think it's smart to go to community college instead of a university to save money? Do you think that the students are missing out by not pursuing top-tier education?