PINEHURST, N.C. -- High school students throughout Moore County have new tuition-free opportunities to take college courses while still in high school.
 
The Career & College Promise initiative, which began in January of this year, prepares eligible high school students for life after high school—that means college credit for some, and job training for others.
 
Lauren Holland, who directs Sandhills’ high school programs for Moore County Schools, has been working closely with area high schools to implement the program and to begin preparations for the 2012 fall semester registrations.
 
“Career and College Promise presents a unique mechanism for high school students to take college courses during their Junior and Senior years with the assurance that the courses they choose are under a pathway that is in alignment with the student’s post-secondary plans,” said Holland.
 
The initiative is not limited to public school students. The program is available to private and home school students as well.
 
Classes are taught on the Moore County high school campuses, the Sandhills campus, and via online instruction.
 
The Program
 
Career & College Promise has been defined by the state to the community college system as a program providing “seamless dual enrollment educational opportunities for eligible North Carolina high school students in order to accelerate completion of college certificates, diplomas and associate degrees that lead to college transfer or provide entry-level job skills.”
 
It replaces all three former programs for high school students: Huskins, Learn and Earn Online and Dual Enrollment.
 
For Moore County students, there are two state approved pathways for students to achieve their goals—College Transfer and Career Technical. Students following a pathway will be on a focused, directed path.
 
Each course or credit students complete moves them forward toward a degree, diploma, or credential.
 
Pathways
 
The College Transfer pathway is best suited for high school students who intend to eventually pursue a four-year degree. Courses taken under these pathways will transfer to any UNC-System university.
 
College Transfer pathways are Life and Health Sciences, Business and Economics, Humanities and Social Science and Engineering and Mathematics. Eligibility into these pathways requires that students be a junior or senior in high school, have a weighted GPA of 3.0 in high school courses and demonstrate college readiness on an approved placement test.
 
The Career Technical Education pathways can lead to a certificate or diploma aligned with a high school career cluster. Eligibility is open to high school juniors and seniors who have a weighted GPA of 3.0 or who have the recommendation of the high school principal.
 
Career Technical pathways planned for the 2012 fall semester include Civil Engineering Technology, Collision Repair and Refinishing, Criminal Justice, Digital Media, Culinary Arts and Emergency Medical Science.
 
All students, regardless of their chosen pathway, must meet any college course prerequisites.
 
Project Lead the Way
 
Beneath the Career and College Promise umbrella, Sandhills is also making available courses in engineering and biomedical sciences to Moore County Schools students. Project Lead the Way is a program with the purpose of introducing students to engineering and biomedical science, and to encourage them to consider careers in those fields.
 
A grant from the Palmer Foundation has assisted the college with introducing Project Lead the Way to Moore County students. Last fall, funding from the Palmer Foundation secured state of the art computers and software for instructing students in engineering courses on the Sandhills campus, and additional resources are now allowing the college to proceed ahead with plans to provide biomedical sciences instruction, as well.
 
Students who enroll in one of the Project Lead the Way courses become Palmer Scholars and are invited to participate in course extensions, such as a field trip to the North Carolina State University School of Engineering, where they learn about various engineering majors and what kinds of internships and careers are available to engineering students.
 
The Savings
 
Courses taken under Career and College Promise are tuition-free, and they provide an advantageous opportunity to get an early start on acquiring college credits while students are still in high school.
 
Holland elaborates, “I know of a Moore County student who attended Appalachian State University and with the credits he obtained through his Advanced Placement courses, in combination with the classes he took at Sandhills, he was able to eliminate a full semester of college. The best part for him and his parents was that, except for the AP exam fees, all of these course credits were earned without having to pay anything. They saved over $1,500 in tuition.”
 
“Career & College Promise will save students time and money and allow North Carolina high school students to move forward on well-defined pathways, not just enroll in random college courses,” said Dr. Scott Ralls, President of N.C. Community College System. “It is an efficient and effective way to further student success.”
 
Course Registration
 
Representatives from Sandhills and Moore County Schools are working together to develop the registration processes for the upcoming fall semester.
 
Students who are interested in taking courses next fall should listen for announcements regarding testing and applying to Sandhills at their high school, or see their guidance counselor for more details.
 
For additional information, contact Lauren Holland, Coordinator of High School Programs/Moore County, at 695-3713 or hollandlsandhills [dot] edu.