High School/ College Combinations- Can They Work?

Is it possible to take college courses while still in high school? The answer is a resounding yeas and it seems that more and more school around the country are creating options for students complete course work and even degree requirements simultaneously. The benefits are significant. Students, who say they are bored or not sufficiently challenged, can now take course work that is more rigorous. Students can investigate courses not offered in traditional high schools that may be of interest to them. A number of years ago I met a young lady who was a high school junior in Miami, Florida. She was already taking community college courses through her high school. She expected that when she graduated from high school she would also have attained her associate’s degree from the local community college. Florida Atlantic University. Located in Boca Raton, has a high school where students can pursue a Bachelor’s degree while completing their requirements for a high school diploma.

Indiana University in Bloomington had a program a few years ago that trained high school teachers to teach college level undergraduate courses, for credit, in her home high schools.  In short, the opportunities are out there.

The other significant benefit is a financial one. The cost of a four-year traditional undergraduate degree program has become prohibitive to many students and their parents. The opportunity to save the cost of two (or four) years of a college education is a major incentive.

The social implications of some of these changes can also be significant. Can a 16 year old be comfortable living away from home at a university where all of his or her “peers” are two are three years older? What about a 17-year-old college graduate? Graduate school may seem like the easy option but at some point a young graduate needs to enter the work force and the real world.

This topic certainly is one for discussion throughout the academic community and educators, students and their families need to assess such a venture.

C.2015 J. Margolis