Major changes. It's cheaper and easier to experiment with classes and change majors at a community college than later at a four-year institution. Many people feel stuck in an upper-division degree program, muddle through, get the no-longer-interesting degree and then don't use it after graduation.
Important caveat. Check with an admissions officer at the four year-college or university from which you hope to graduate to confirm that it has an articulation agreement, also known as transfer agreement, with the community college you plan to attend. For great detailed advice, read "Community College Transfer Guide" by Don Silver (Adams-Hall Publishing; 2009).
New twists. More than 300 community colleges now provide some type of housing for students. And nearly 15 states have granted community colleges the right to offer bachelor's degrees in certain vocational fields. Read more about the changing constellation of community colleges on the American Association of Community Colleges' Web site, see here.
Status issue. When your nephew's mother is asked where her son is going to college, if she's smart, she'll say with pride, "He plans to save funds for a good, unencumbered start in his adult life without debt, so he is enrolling for his first two years at a marvelous community college. He's a smart kid, don't you agree?"