Fulfilling pre-reqs AFTER already earning a BS?

[pir8vettech]

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Hello everyone,

I searched through old threads pretty thoroughly and couldn't find anything that really helped answer my question. So I graduated from a 4 year public university a little more than a year ago with a BS in anthropology (cultural to be specific) and a minor in ethnic studies. Although I really liked anthropology, I have spent all of my time working in some type of capacity with animals (e.g. animal rescue/adoption, veterinary assistant). I have done extensive research on veterinary school and I know how time intensive and financially burdensome it is. However, I want to attend vet school and I want to know how I can go about fulfilling the necessary prerequisites so I can apply. Again, I already have my bachelors, so it's not as if I can change my major in school and attain all the needed classes before graduation. Being that I already have BS, that severely limits me in terms of funding as well. I think it would be silly to pursue another bachelors and from what I understand, it would be frowned upon if I took all my needed classes at a community college. From what I've calculated, I would need between 30-45 semester hours (consisting of the biology and chemistry classes I never took) to fulfill the pre-req I need. I want to do this in the most cost effective way possible, too. What would you all suggest? Is there anyone out there, particularly a student in veterinary school, who can relate in any way? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

 

[Crystalight33]

Hi, I've done exactly what you are planning to do. I got my bachelors (and a masters degree) in music, worked as a vet assistant for 5 years and decided to go back and get my pre-reqs for vet school. I ended up taking general biology and general chemistry at a community college while continuing to work full time at a vet clinic. I then switched to being a full time student at a 4 year university and working part time to finish the rest of my pre-reqs. At the community college, I registered as a non-degree seeking student and at the university, I registered as a 2nd degree seeking student (even though I'm not planning to graduate with a second bachelors). I did that in order to be a better candidate for scholarships and financial aid for the 4 year university (the community college I was able to pay out of pocket). I'm not in vet school yet, but I have two interviews so far, so I'm really hoping to start in the fall! Hope that helps 🙂

 

[BarkyLove]

Hey there,

I'm a non-trad student with a dual BS in Business and Marketing and am just finishing prereqs for vet school about 2 years later. I wanted to get my pre-reqs done as fast as I could, so I attended full-time if I could help it. However, some pre-reqs are pre-reqs for others so it definitely takes a little bit of time and committment. I applied this last cycle and have about 10 credits to finish up this semester before attending vet school in the fall. I don't know how far along you are in working towards this decision so I'll just tell you what I did.

My advice is to first research the schools and figure out which ones you want to apply for. Many of the schools require the same prereqs and many require an additional class such as nutrition or statistics for example. After you figure out where you'd like to apply, you can better plan out which classes you need to take in order to fulfill those requirements. The VMCAS and the VMSAR (Vet Med School Admission Requirements) book were great resources for this. An additional tip, one I didn't research enough, is to consider schools based on financial costs as well (since some offer instate tuition after 1 yr which would lessen the total cost dramatically).

After that, I attended classes at my instate institution where I got my bachelors. This kept costs relatively low and saved me the hassle of applying to a 4yr university since they already had my records. I declared a biology major, even though I have no intention of actually obtaining and graduating with a third undergrad degree. And from most admissions I've spoken to, it's not necessary to do so. I declared a major solely for registration purposes. This allows me to register for classes first, having senior status (based on the number of credits obtained even though its a completely different major), which is helpful in getting in those prereq classes that fill up extremely fast. This is another perk of attending my same undergrad institution.

I would caution you to take additional upper division science classes in addition to the required prereqs even though you are trying to keep costs low. I think this shows admissions committees that you can handle the heavy science courseload.

Other than that, just work towards obtaining more experience (which by the sounds of it, you are more ahead of the game than I was) and rocking a great GRE score.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Best of luck in obtaining your dream!!

 

[pir8vettech]

Hi, I've done exactly what you are planning to do. I got my bachelors (and a masters degree) in music, worked as a vet assistant for 5 years and decided to go back and get my pre-reqs for vet school. I ended up taking general biology and general chemistry at a community college while continuing to work full time at a vet clinic. I then switched to being a full time student at a 4 year university and working part time to finish the rest of my pre-reqs. At the community college, I registered as a non-degree seeking student and at the university, I registered as a 2nd degree seeking student (even though I'm not planning to graduate with a second bachelors). I did that in order to be a better candidate for scholarships and financial aid for the 4 year university (the community college I was able to pay out of pocket). I'm not in vet school yet, but I have two interviews so far, so I'm really hoping to start in the fall! Hope that helps 🙂

It makes me feel good to know there are people out there in a similar position, so I really appreciate you responding. I was ultimately planning to do what you did: start off with a few classes at the local CC and then finish my upper level classes at a four year institution. I guess my other question for you is how did you go about funding your education at the 4 year institution being that you already had a bachelors (and masters)? Did you qualify for grants and other non-loan funds as a 2nd degree seeking student?

 

[pir8vettech]

Hey there,

I'm a non-trad student with a dual BS in Business and Marketing and am just finishing prereqs for vet school about 2 years later. I wanted to get my pre-reqs done as fast as I could, so I attended full-time if I could help it. However, some pre-reqs are pre-reqs for others so it definitely takes a little bit of time and committment. I applied this last cycle and have about 10 credits to finish up this semester before attending vet school in the fall. I don't know how far along you are in working towards this decision so I'll just tell you what I did.

My advice is to first research the schools and figure out which ones you want to apply for. Many of the schools require the same prereqs and many require an additional class such as nutrition or statistics for example. After you figure out where you'd like to apply, you can better plan out which classes you need to take in order to fulfill those requirements. The VMCAS and the VMSAR (Vet Med School Admission Requirements) book were great resources for this. An additional tip, one I didn't research enough, is to consider schools based on financial costs as well (since some offer instate tuition after 1 yr which would lessen the total cost dramatically).

After that, I attended classes at my instate institution where I got my bachelors. This kept costs relatively low and saved me the hassle of applying to a 4yr university since they already had my records. I declared a biology major, even though I have no intention of actually obtaining and graduating with a third undergrad degree. And from most admissions I've spoken to, it's not necessary to do so. I declared a major solely for registration purposes. This allows me to register for classes first, having senior status (based on the number of credits obtained even though its a completely different major), which is helpful in getting in those prereq classes that fill up extremely fast. This is another perk of attending my same undergrad institution.

I would caution you to take additional upper division science classes in addition to the required prereqs even though you are trying to keep costs low. I think this shows admissions committees that you can handle the heavy science courseload.

Other than that, just work towards obtaining more experience (which by the sounds of it, you are more ahead of the game than I was) and rocking a great GRE score.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Best of luck in obtaining your dream!!

Thank you so much for providing your personal experiences with this! I haven't begun taking classes yet, but the information you provided makes me more confident about enrolling in classes this coming fall. I definitely plan on doing more in-depth research about schools I'm interested in to determine specifically which classes I would need in order to apply. I think I was deterred from moving forward with this process after learning that non-degree seeking students don't qualify for non-loan aid. I will definitely speak with representatives at 4 year colleges I'm interested in, too. Being that you already have two BSs, how did you go about funding this second go 'round for your pre-reqs? I highly doubt I'll be attending my alma mater for the extra classes only because of the distance and the fact that I just moved from the area a year ago. Thank you too for the recommendation about the additional classes. I understand that going above and beyond can make all the difference in this process. I will definitely be in touch as I have some other questions regarding this lengthy journey!

 

[ShibaMom]

Hey there,

I'm a non-trad student with a dual BS in Business and Marketing and am just finishing prereqs for vet school about 2 years later. I wanted to get my pre-reqs done as fast as I could, so I attended full-time if I could help it. However, some pre-reqs are pre-reqs for others so it definitely takes a little bit of time and committment. I applied this last cycle and have about 10 credits to finish up this semester before attending vet school in the fall. I don't know how far along you are in working towards this decision so I'll just tell you what I did.

My advice is to first research the schools and figure out which ones you want to apply for. Many of the schools require the same prereqs and many require an additional class such as nutrition or statistics for example. After you figure out where you'd like to apply, you can better plan out which classes you need to take in order to fulfill those requirements. The VMCAS and the VMSAR (Vet Med School Admission Requirements) book were great resources for this. An additional tip, one I didn't research enough, is to consider schools based on financial costs as well (since some offer instate tuition after 1 yr which would lessen the total cost dramatically).

After that, I attended classes at my instate institution where I got my bachelors. This kept costs relatively low and saved me the hassle of applying to a 4yr university since they already had my records. I declared a biology major, even though I have no intention of actually obtaining and graduating with a third undergrad degree. And from most admissions I've spoken to, it's not necessary to do so. I declared a major solely for registration purposes. This allows me to register for classes first, having senior status (based on the number of credits obtained even though its a completely different major), which is helpful in getting in those prereq classes that fill up extremely fast. This is another perk of attending my same undergrad institution.

I would caution you to take additional upper division science classes in addition to the required prereqs even though you are trying to keep costs low. I think this shows admissions committees that you can handle the heavy science courseload.

Other than that, just work towards obtaining more experience (which by the sounds of it, you are more ahead of the game than I was) and rocking a great GRE score.

If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. Best of luck in obtaining your dream!!

I agree with what BarkyLove has to say about prereqs. I, too, was a non-traditional student with a degree in Communications. Over the course of nine years I finished all required courses for admission to Texas A&M and KSU. Since I was just getting on my feet as a post-grad I took Chem I my local community college. After that semester I transferred to my four-year institution as a non-degree seeking student.

I never applied for any financial aid, so I wish I could be more useful there. However, BarkyLove is spot on about being able to register for upper levels first due to senior status. Additionally, take advantage of every summer semester and winter session, if your university offers them. With careful planning I have seen students finish their prereqs in 18 to 24 months.

And if your university of choice requires Animal Science and/or Animal Nutrition, I highly recommend taking these classes online with Kansas State if your local institution doesn't offer them. If I recall correctly, there are a handful of other universities that offer these courses online; I'll post them if I remember. One thing that made me want to go to Kansas is the quality of their educators. Both professors in the online Animal Science and Animal Nutrition courses are respected member of their fields and their passion for their profession is highly evident, even through online lectures.

Please PM me if you have any other questions. Changing careers is something I will never regret, and with hard work and careful planning I know you will fulfill your goals too.

 

[rustysmom]

I was also a non-trad student - BS and MS in Computer Information Systems and worked as a computer programmer for years before I went back to school. I too started at a community college with general chem and general bio. I also took Anatomy/Physiology at the community college. I wanted to make sure that this career change was something I really wanted before going to a 4 year university.

When I went to the 4 year university, I enrolled as a second degree seeking student (based on advice from an admissions rep). I got first priority for enrollment into the rest of my science classes and was able to get financial aid as well. I never had any intention of getting my second bachelors unless I needed to reapply to vet school. I also took a few upper level bio classes at the university to prove that I could handle them. Good luck! Feel free to PM if you have any questions.

 

[Tator17]

I am a non-traditional student as well. I got my BS in Marketing in 2000 and in 2007 decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian. I took my pre-reqs at a local 4 year college (IUPUI) and worked full time as an office manager the entire time. I never had to declare a major, but I did have to meet with an advisor to let them know why I was taking classes. I was never a full time student. I just enrolled in classes in the order that I needed them. Knowing the amount of financial aid I would have to take out for vet school, I didn't look into it for the pre-reqs. I moved to an apartment closer to campus (lower rent) lowered all of my bills, and paid for the classes as I took them. I did not research the schools that I wanted to attend any farther than learning what pre-reqs were needed for "most" vet schools. If there was a school that required a class that no one else did, I wrote them off. At ~$350/credit hour, I figured it just wasn't worth it.

Looking back, I'm not sure I would recommend that course of action. I mean, I was lucky that I could do it (single, no kids, good job) but while it meant that I came into vet school with no debt, I also didn't have much savings. And really, in the face of all that I'm going to owe now, I would rather have had the savings. Since I was taking classes while working full time, I could only take 1-2 classes per semester in the evenings and summer classes were absolutely not an option. So it took me a little longer than most to complete my pre-reqs (I applied in 2010 with 6 hours left to take in the spring semester) and getting experience was difficult as well (I spent a lot of weekends volunteering.) So looking back, I would say go full time and take out financial aid to cover your pre-reqs. Otherwise it's just unnecessary stress and hoops that you don't really need to jump through.

I'm mainly posting to say that it's possible. Through this entire journey, I've come to realize how incredibly out of reach further education is to non-traditional students - but it IS possible, and I hope more people consider it in the future. Then maybe things will change... If there's any information I can offer to help (even cost cutting measures - I'm pretty sure I have a degree in that too... 🙂 ) please don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[gimmeshelter]

Another non-trad here. I was 10+ years out of undergrad when I started my prereqs. In addition to all of the great advice you've already received here, I'd also advise looking into post-bacc programs. I attended two different schools that have post-bacc programs for all of my prereqs. (For scheduling reasons, and because I wanted to take certain classes at the school with the stronger undergrad bio department and certain classes at the school with other strengths, I studied as a nondegree student at both -- but I might as well have been in the post-bacc programs.) The advantage of a post-bacc program is that it's a formal certificate program and you qualify for financial aid in most cases. You also have priority registration. Also, remember that you don't have to take all of your classes at the same university. For at least one class where I didn't feel I needed a classroom (math) I saved quite a bit of money by taking it online. I just had a lot of transcripts to order come application time!

 

[macita183]

Another non-traditional here. I got my BA in Psychology in 2005. About 2008 I realized I was not happy about the career path I was on. I was very active in volunteering at my local shelter and a breed rescue so I started looking in to vet med. Since 2008 I have been taking 1-2 pre-requisite course per semester while working full time in Human Resources, part time job at a vet clinic, as well as volunteering/shadowing vets in my "free" time. I took my lower division science courses (and some of the other pre-reqs that some schools require like public speaking) at a CC since cost wise it was so much cheaper. I took my upper division science courses through 4 year universities. I took a lot of courses online since it was so much easier to fit in to my schedule (the 4 year university near me does not offer many science evening courses and working 8-5 it was difficult for me to attend during the day).

Some schools do not like online courses, so make sure you ask the schools you are interested in what their policy is. I was also enrolled as a non-degree seeking student so I did not qualify for financial aid. If I had to do it again I would probably have gone back and gotten a second bachelor's degree. Trying to balance everything has been difficult at times, but I think the time management skills I learned can only help me in vet school (which I hope the adcoms see). It has been a long process but I know this is what I want to do. PM if you have any questions. Good luck!

 

[dvmdreamer]

Also a non-traditional here on a similar plan.

Everyone else has sound advice. I would really recommend talking to the schools you intend to apply to and listening VERY CAREFULLY to their responses. I made a few mistakes, as I tried to avoid more debt and do everything as cheaply as possible so I could pay out of pocket.
1. I did community college for lower level courses. Most vet schools "allow lower level courses to be taken at a community college". However, just because your college or local university has something as a 2000 level course, don't assume all do. I planned on applying to Oklahoma State, but they consider Organic Chem to be a junior level course and therefore don't accept it if it were taken at a community college, even though all the universities around me consider it to be a sophmore level course.
2. Think very carefully about whether you go degree seeking or not. The pros- you then qualify for loans. Cons- if the vet school calculates a courseload score, they typically use "all semesters while seeing an undergraduate degree". This hurt me, because the way it was said to me the first time, I took it to mean "while an undergraduate". Therefore, I just took one or two classes the first few semesters while getting my Gen Chem and basic Bio done, while I was also working full time and shadowing on the side. Unfortunately, since I was degree seeking, those 4-8 credit hour semesters were put into my courseload average. It totally destroyed my 16-19 credit hour courseload that I took when I actually was an undergrad, and makes the average look like I've never been a full time student. Some schools don't do a courseload weight at all, so it may not matter to you.

If I were going to do it over again, I think I would still do Gen Chem and basic bio at the community college, but then bite the bullet, take out the loans and do a couple of full time semesters at the university. That's what I ended up doing- to take classes that are not prerequisites- after a failed first application cycle, when I was told that I didn't demonstrate that I could handle vet school because I had never taken a full time science load at a university. I did a leap of faith, quit my job, and was lucky enough to find a research assistant job in the Biology department that at least pays for my gas and food. I've burned through my savings I was hoping to have for vet school. I wish I would have just gone ahead a done it three years ago instead of part timing and having to go through the cycle twice (and maybe three times, who knows).

 

[EngrSC]

Ditto to what others have posted.

I graduated in 2010 with my BS in Aerospace Engineering and I'm still working on my vet school prereqs. I work full time as an engineer (pays the bills and allows me to put money away), work part time in a vet hospital (10-20 hours/week), volunteer, and take 1-2 classes at a time. The basic chemistry and biology I've taken at the community college because they are offered as night classes. I live in the glorious state of California (being sarcastic 😛) where the education system is pretty messed up. My alma mater doesn't accept post-bacc students and the other university near me accepts them on a very very very limited basis. For now I'm just taking classes as an open enrollment student and I haven't had trouble getting into classes thus far, knock on wood. If possible I urge you to pay for classes out-of-pocket as you go.

There are so many avenues to vet school so do what works best for you 👍

 

[felinelvr44]

Another non-trad here. I was 10+ years out of undergrad when I started my prereqs. In addition to all of the great advice you've already received here, I'd also advise looking into post-bacc programs. I attended two different schools that have post-bacc programs for all of my prereqs. (For scheduling reasons, and because I wanted to take certain classes at the school with the stronger undergrad bio department and certain classes at the school with other strengths, I studied as a nondegree student at both -- but I might as well have been in the post-bacc programs.) The advantage of a post-bacc program is that it's a formal certificate program and you qualify for financial aid in most cases. You also have priority registration. Also, remember that you don't have to take all of your classes at the same university. For at least one class where I didn't feel I needed a classroom (math) I saved quite a bit of money by taking it online. I just had a lot of transcripts to order come application time!

I was just about the post on post-bac programs! My school has a post-bac pre-health certificate program and not only does it mean that you qualify for more types of financial aid but you get super priority registration. Like, even before the undergrad seniors registration. It is my understanding that the school realized having a bunch of pre-health second degree or non-degree students that took 30-45 credits and then "dropped out" made their numbers look really bad in terms of state and federal funding. So the post-bac certificate program was born. The students get aid and better registration and it no longer looks like the school has tons of students dropping out after freshman/sophomore year. Some non-trad students can't be bothered with the certificate program (it is an additional application) and choose to go at it alone - unlike some of the other's experiences, non-degree and second degree students register LAST at my school. Many tears have been shed over trying to get into closed courses you absolutely need. Definitely something to think about!

And as far as funding... go somewhere cheap. Pre-req's from your state school are worth the same as pre-req's from a fancy private school but cost much much less!

 

[dvmdreamer]

I was just about the post on post-bac programs! My school has a post-bac pre-health certificate program and not only does it mean that you qualify for more types of financial aid but you get super priority registration. Like, even before the undergrad seniors registration. It is my understanding that the school realized having a bunch of pre-health second degree or non-degree students that took 30-45 credits and then "dropped out" made their numbers look really bad in terms of state and federal funding. So the post-bac certificate program was born. The students get aid and better registration and it no longer looks like the school has tons of students dropping out after freshman/sophomore year. Some non-trad students can't be bothered with the certificate program (it is an additional application) and choose to go at it alone - unlike some of the other's experiences, non-degree and second degree students register LAST at my school. Many tears have been shed over trying to get into closed courses you absolutely need. Definitely something to think about!

And as far as funding... go somewhere cheap. Pre-req's from your state school are worth the same as pre-req's from a fancy private school but cost much much less!

👍 on the cheap

The post-bacc thing sounds perfect! really jealous my school didn't offer that

 

[Kansas Girl]

I'm another person who did the degree first, then finished (and am still finishing pre-reqs). In my case, I knew by my senior year that I wanted to go to vet school, but I was almost done with a BA/BBA in political science/management at an OOS school, so I went ahead and finished that and then moved home. I had microbiology, public speaking, organic chem, biochemistry, genetics, and another run-of-the-mill biology class to take (I was originally a biology major), and I've taken/am taking all of those at a local community college. In regards to courses that are required to be a certain level - I e-mailed schools and verified that what I was taking at the community college was okay even though the CC only numbers into the 200s and in every case for me, it was - in some cases, they wanted to see a course description and know the pre-reqs (e.g. organic chemistry as pre-req for biochem).

Anyhow, I only had to pay $80 something a credit hour, which I considered a major win. And I got into veterinary school, so it worked for me.

 

[LetItSnow]

I had a B.A. in Theology when I went back. I did ALL my pre-reqs at a community college, including upper level classes. The CC I chose had a cooperative program in place with a state 4-year school so that people could attend the CC and get a 4-year B.S. degree. It was trivial for me to jump in and take the 2/3 classes that I needed through that program.

It was fantastic. I didn't have to switch locations, I knew the teachers already ....

I'd take a few minutes to look at the CCs in your area and see if any have a similar program. It's kinda nice to stay at one campus once you're comfortable/familiar with it.

I'm a strong proponent of doing the pre-reqs through a CC. It's cheaper, and the whole "vet schools give more credibility to university colleges" thing is bunk. There are some great arguments in the other direction (especially some contextual arguments like wanting a dual DVM/PhD degree, where it'd be useful to start building contacts at a research facility), but for most of us it doesn't make financial sense to pay for a four-year degree at a big expensive school.

You do need to be careful to make sure that all the courses will meet the requirements at whatever schools you plan to apply to, but that's really the biggest 'gotcha'.

 

[Crystalight33]

Also a non-traditional here on a similar plan.

Everyone else has sound advice. I would really recommend talking to the schools you intend to apply to and listening VERY CAREFULLY to their responses. I made a few mistakes, as I tried to avoid more debt and do everything as cheaply as possible so I could pay out of pocket.
1. I did community college for lower level courses. Most vet schools "allow lower level courses to be taken at a community college". However, just because your college or local university has something as a 2000 level course, don't assume all do. I planned on applying to Oklahoma State, but they consider Organic Chem to be a junior level course and therefore don't accept it if it were taken at a community college, even though all the universities around me consider it to be a sophmore level course.
2. Think very carefully about whether you go degree seeking or not. The pros- you then qualify for loans. Cons- if the vet school calculates a courseload score, they typically use "all semesters while seeing an undergraduate degree". This hurt me, because the way it was said to me the first time, I took it to mean "while an undergraduate". Therefore, I just took one or two classes the first few semesters while getting my Gen Chem and basic Bio done, while I was also working full time and shadowing on the side. Unfortunately, since I was degree seeking, those 4-8 credit hour semesters were put into my courseload average. It totally destroyed my 16-19 credit hour courseload that I took when I actually was an undergrad, and makes the average look like I've never been a full time student. Some schools don't do a courseload weight at all, so it may not matter to you.

If I were going to do it over again, I think I would still do Gen Chem and basic bio at the community college, but then bite the bullet, take out the loans and do a couple of full time semesters at the university. That's what I ended up doing- to take classes that are not prerequisites- after a failed first application cycle, when I was told that I didn't demonstrate that I could handle vet school because I had never taken a full time science load at a university. I did a leap of faith, quit my job, and was lucky enough to find a research assistant job in the Biology department that at least pays for my gas and food. I've burned through my savings I was hoping to have for vet school. I wish I would have just gone ahead a done it three years ago instead of part timing and having to go through the cycle twice (and maybe three times, who knows).

Exactly! My IS school takes into consideration course load and the highest amount of "points" is for 20 hrs per term. I ended up needing 2 years at the 4 year university, so I took 12 credit hours each semester and filled up the non pre-req courses with classes like microbiology, animal anatomy and physiology, animal nutrition, basically classes on the "highly recommended" list for the schools I was applying to. I was not able to qualify for any scholarships (because of my 2 previous degrees) so I had to take out some federal aid loan money for tuition. Working part time takes care of my living expenses.

I had a B.A. in Theology when I went back. I did ALL my pre-reqs at a community college, including upper level classes. The CC I chose had a cooperative program in place with a state 4-year school so that people could attend the CC and get a 4-year B.S. degree. It was trivial for me to jump in and take the 2/3 classes that I needed through that program.

It was fantastic. I didn't have to switch locations, I knew the teachers already ....

I'd take a few minutes to look at the CCs in your area and see if any have a similar program. It's kinda nice to stay at one campus once you're comfortable/familiar with it.

I'm a strong proponent of doing the pre-reqs through a CC. It's cheaper, and the whole "vet schools give more credibility to university colleges" thing is bunk. There are some great arguments in the other direction (especially some contextual arguments like wanting a dual DVM/PhD degree, where it'd be useful to start building contacts at a research facility), but for most of us it doesn't make financial sense to pay for a four-year degree at a big expensive school.

You do need to be careful to make sure that all the courses will meet the requirements at whatever schools you plan to apply to, but that's really the biggest 'gotcha'.

Community college is very much cheaper than university, but my CC didn't offer biochem, genetics, or really any biology past general bio. They did have a program like you went through with the university I'm at now, but since I couldn't fulfill my pre-reqs, it made much more sense for me to transfer. I will say that I had some stupid burocracy issues with my general biology courses transferring as far as getting into the upper level bio courses I needed, but it was just jumping through a few extra hoops to get into the classes I needed.