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Colleges and universities are expanding opportunities for high school students to earn college credit for free before they graduate.
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The cost of higher education is one of the greatest barriers to student enrollment and retention, according to recent surveys. Providing discounted or free tuition is one way institutions have supported student success, and new partnerships look to offer financial incentives to encourage traditional-aged students leaving high school to enroll.
State-level opportunities for dual enrollment or free community college are not new trends but have grown in popularity in recent years. Both states and individual institutions, including private nonprofit universities, are discounting rates to show students college is affordable and within reach.
Inside Higher Ed compiled five examples of programs—new, with new features or with innovative aspects—that support high school students’ enrollment and degree attainment through free courses and other supports while they’re still in high school.
So What?
Dual enrollment, or opportunities for traditional-aged students to earn college credits while in high school, have grown in popularity, according to experts.
“Dual enrollment has been one of the main channels through which postsecondary enrollment has expanded over the last years,” says Tatiana Velasco, research associate at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
In addition to boosting colleges’ enrollment, free college courses are a way to invite students to explore new subjects, be exposed to higher education experiences and ease their transition into an institution if they choose to enroll.
A new program at Roanoke College in Virginia, Explore@RC, will allow high school students to earn 12 free credits in introductory courses. The initiative, funded by a $3.5 million grant from the Virginia Board of Education, is open to 10th- to 12th-grade students.
The dual-enrollment process will allow students to complete classes on campus for half a day (with transportation provided to Salem City Schools students), and students have access to campus resources including tutoring, peer mentoring, success coaches and campus activities.
There is no tuition, nor fees, for participants, and the students also do not have to pay for their textbooks or materials.
In January, SLCC and Granger High School established a new partnership focused on supporting first-generation and low-income students in their pursuit of postsecondary education, expanding a long-standing program to a new cohort of learners.
The four-year program, PACE, short for Partnership for Accessing College Education, supports students throughout their high school journey and encourages enrollment at SLCC upon graduation. Six high schools in the surrounding area participate in PACE.
PACE is funded through SLCC donor support, and the expansion to Granger High School was funded by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation. Granger High School’s 60 participants received free iPads as well.
All incoming ninth graders are eligible if they are a first-generation college student or qualify for free or reduced lunch. To remain in the program, students commit to maintaining a 2.0 GPA or higher and participating in PACE events, mentoring or programs to help them develop study skills and overcome any obstacles they may encounter. Successful graduates receive a full two-year scholarship to SLCC, worth approximately $12,300.
Of the 561 students who graduated from PACE, 442 have enrolled and attended college, according to an SLCC press release.
High school students who opt in to one of the dual-enrollment programs at the University of Providence in Montana can complete three courses for free through a new Three-for-Free initiative announced July 16.
The two tracks—dual enrollment into the college’s courses in person or online, or a concurrent enrollment through their high school—both allow local Montana students to earn credits for the university for free and then pay a $55-per-credit-hour tuition rate for additional courses.
The Montana University System offers high school students two dual-enrollment courses, or up to six credits, for free, but UP’s offer gives learners one additional course.
School may be out for the summer, but high school students in Indiana can earn free college credit through a summer program at Ivy Tech Community College.
The initiative launched in 2020 and allows any high school student to enroll in Ivy Tech courses over the summer before they transfer to their four-year institution or continue on at one of Ivy Tech’s 19 campuses in the fall. The college will also cover the cost of students’ books and course materials, as applicable.
College leaders hope the intervention boosts college-going rates of youth and young adults in the state. During summer 2023, more than 4,000 students enrolled in free courses throughout the state.
In 2023, UCSD created a pilot program to connect San Diego high school students with free online college courses, delivered by university faculty. Campus leaders learned not every high school in the area offered honors or Advanced Placement courses, leaving some students disadvantaged in their college attainment journey.
“Discover UC San Diego also demonstrates to students, particularly students who would be the first in their family to attend college, or those from backgrounds typically underrepresented at colleges and universities, that they do belong in the university environment and that they can be successful at UC San Diego,” the university’s website says.
During the pilot, 120 students enrolled in three online courses that were developed to be more accessible to high school students but maintained the rigor of a higher education course. Staff plan to scale the program in the future, adding more courses and creating real-time learning opportunities.
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