When Frederick High School senior Hunter Hughes decided to go to Frederick Community College then transfer to a four-year school, he made an informed decision.

Hunter considered his options and looked at programs at Frostburg State University and the University of Maryland, but he decided to take a different route.

At 17, and still uncertain about his choice of a college major, he decided there was no point in jumping straight into four-year school.

"FCC will be $15,000 to $16,000 cheaper," he said.

In the current economy, where students are becoming more aware of what they are paying for college, Hunter's line of thinking is becoming increasingly popular.

And that is leading more Frederick County students to FCC, said Brenda Brown, counselor at Frederick High School.

Based on the number of applications the college has received this year, officials expect to see a 14 percent increase in student enrollment in the fall.

Students give different reasons, but they all seem to lead back to the tight financial climate, Brown said.

Some don't feel ready for a four-year school, and are looking to community colleges to prepare them without emptying their wallets. Others go to community colleges and try to take as many transferable courses because they know it would reduce the cost of a four-year education, Brown said.

"It's about 50-50," she said.

And while some students are turning to community colleges to save money, others are looking for more financial aid from them.

At Montgomery College, the state's largest community college, the number of financial aid applications has jumped 19 percent in the past year, said Melissa Gregory, the college's director of student financial aid.

Last year, the college received 9,200 applications; so far this year, 11,000 applications have come in, Gregory said.

"We have never hit June with 10,000 applications waiting to be done," she said.

At Prince George's Community College, Jane Hickey, the college's director of financial aid, said applications for financial aid, both for new and returning students, are up about 40 percent over this time last year.

Many PGCC students receive federal Pell grants — scholarships based on student need. The expected increase in Pell grant award amounts in the upcoming school year — from $4,850 to $5,350 — will help the college's students.

Hickey said she has seen an increase in students' requesting that their financial circumstances be re-evaluated to determine whether they qualify for more aid.

"We do have some ability to address sudden changes in family circumstances, including loss of employment of a parent or a spouse," Hickey said.

Hunter's plan is to live at home and work to save money for a four-year education. Meanwhile, he hopes to load up on the cheaper, transferable courses the college offers.

"I think going to FCC will be an advantage," Hunter said. "It is not like a four-year college. They have small classes. You get to know your professors."

Hunter's father, Gary Hughes, said he was relieved to hear his son's decision. He even offered to pay the $4,000 that Hunter would need for tuition at FCC, where each credit costs $96 per credit. By comparison, private Hood College in Frederick charges $800 per credit.

Hughes said it would have been difficult to foot the bill for Hunter's college education if he had picked an expensive four-year college. "We haven't been laid off or anything," Hughes said. "I count myself lucky to have a job. … But we felt it in our retirement. Our retirement savings are back where they were 10 years ago."

Still, money was not Hughes' primary concern. Hughes said he would have found a way to pay for four-year college if that was what his son had wanted.

But he was still a little nervous to have his son leaving college with a big debt. "Who wants their kid coming out of college with $80,000 to $100,000 in debt?" he asked. Hughes does not feel that his son is compromising his education. On the contrary, FCC would offer the smaller classes and the individual attention that his son needs to prepare for a four-year school, Hughes said. "This was the best of both worlds," he said. "It's a great choice for Hunter, that's what makes me happy about it."

Hughes, who also earned his associate's degree at a community college in Delaware before earning his bachelor's at Hood College, said his son made a good choice. Community colleges have come a long way since 1973, Hughes said.

"Now, he can transfer to Hood, he can transfer to Mount St. Mary's," Hughes said. "Back then, you when you transferred to a four-year school, you lost a lot of credits."

E-mail Margarita Raycheva at mraycheva@gazette.net.