I was accepted into NYU, but chose a community college certification instead. Being debt-free was more important than prestige

Why is Stellantis moving Jeep production to the US? How will Nestlé's 16,000 job cuts impact earnings? What caused the regional bank stocks to fall sharply? Why did the US Senate fail to pass the spending bill? How is Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee affecting businesses? What led to CNN launching the All Access streaming service? Why are oil prices dropping despite supply concerns?

I was accepted into NYU, but chose a community college certification instead. Being debt-free was more important than prestige

businessinsider.com/student-turned-down-nyu-debt-free-community-college-path-2025-10

The author turned down NYU's offer of acceptance.
Courtesy of Barbara Campos
My NYU acceptance came with an $80,000 price tag, which would require me to take out student loans.
I enrolled in a legal interpreter certification at my local community college, which cost $450.
Choosing this…

This story appeared on businessinsider.com, 2025-10-12 11:17:02.