I had a very good experience at community college, and it cost me $11/unit. When I transferred to a four-year school, the matriculation advisors told me I was probably better prepared for having done my lower division math at the community college.
The real kicker is that students filling out a FAFSA form are asking for substantially more money.
I agree, I had an excellent CC experience. I've written about it on HN several times. My mathematics courses in particular were better run, by professors far more passionate about their subject and teaching it, than any of the higher maths I took when I transferred to a university.
Of my college experiences, including my M.S. program, most of the professors I look back on as having really provided me with a quality education were from my CC years (though the best professor I ever had in any subject was at my uni).
The real kicker is that students filling out a FAFSA form are asking for substantially more money.