Earn College Credit While in High School? Yes Please!

Here’s the scoop: Did you know there are a ton of different ways to get college credit while still in high school? That’s right. And it makes college go by a lot faster while spending less money. Cool, right?

How does it help you finish faster? Because you won’t have to take those classes again in college! So, when you enter college, some of your core classes are already done.

Let’s talk about Dual Enrollment first. Some of the classes you’re already taking in high school may actually be what’s called Duel Enrollment classes. That means while you’re sitting in history class, you could be earning college credits at the same time as completing high school requirements. (Parent Pro Tip: Dual Enrollment saves you money, too, on overall tuition!)

Here’s how it works: When you sign up for your classes in high school, ask your counselor or teacher if it’s eligible for dual enrollment credits. If so, they will give you a special course number. (Parent Pro Tip: You should get your child admitted on Scottsdale Community College’s website first so that when it’s time to register for a class, you’re already set up with an account.)

See, SCC has established agreements with local high schools to offer selected courses to students who have been identified as candidates for college-level work. Dual Enrollment courses are offered in both academic and occupational areas – meaning, if you plan to transfer to a university, or if you plan to graduate from SCC and head straight into your career, both areas offer dual enrollment. For example, you can take Spanish classes at your high school that also earn you college credits. So when it’s time to go to college, you will skip over the classes you already took in high school.

What do you have to do? Get admitted online, then establish placement and enroll/pay at your high school or at SCC. (Parent Pro Tip: Benefits of Dual Enrollment are:

• Earn college and high school credit together
• Transferable credits to all three state universities
• Save money
• Reduce course duplication
• Develop early occupational skills

Ever heard of Concurrent Enrollment? Basically, it’s taking college courses at SCC while attending high school. With SCC’s Concurrent Enrollment Program, you take in-person college courses on campus while you’re still in high school. It’s open to all high school students, as long as your high school is in agreement. Any 100 or above course taken at SCC counts toward an associate degree. (Parent Pro Tip: To determine if the courses taken at SCC will count toward high school credit, it is important to check with the high school counselor prior to taking the class).

Achieving a College Education (ACE) is a two-year mentoring program for high school students selected through an application process. It’s a huge, national program, but you would still attend classes at SCC. The best part? It’s a scholarship-based (read: free!) college preparation program just for high school students who may not consider going to college. Students are recruited in their sophomore year, take courses, and are mentored while attending high school. (Parent Pro Tip: Benefits of ACE are that students will be academically prepared for college. It helps increase graduation rates among first-generation college bound students. And it assists in a seamless transition from high school into community college and then transfer into a four-year university to complete a baccalaureate degree).

Hoop of Learning is what’s called a college-bridge program. It serves Native American students who would not have access to higher education any other way. The SCC program has provided more than 1,000 Native American students in the last decade with a pathway to higher education. You can’t beat that!

The best part of community college? You save time and money! There’s hundreds of university transfer programs and career programs in a ton of fields. You get free one-on-one tutoring. Oh yeah, affordable tuition, awesome faculty, small class sizes and free parking.

For additional information on these four programs, click here.

For more information contact:

SCC Outreach & Recruitment
Library Building: LIB-468
480-423-6450
outreach@scottsdalecc.edu