Dual enrollment allows students to complete college credit courses while still in high school – speeding up the time it takes to finish a degree and ultimately cutting down on the cost of going to college.
Increasingly, however, colleges are realizing that students’ attitudes and expectations about college can be shaped prior to high school. Programs aimed at inspiring elementary and middle school students to go to college are growing in popularity at community colleges across the country.
LEAP Tampa Bay partner Hillsborough Community College was recently highlighted by the Association of Community Colleges for its efforts targeting middle and high school students. Their programs, like campus tours and sessions on financial aid, are designed to lift the veil of what it’s really like to go to college – helping students envision themselves working toward a degree.
Coupled with the college’s “Fuse” pathways program, which provides students with guaranteed admission to USF and a step-by-step plan to complete a bachelor’s degree, HCC hopes its outreach will open the eyes of students who may have not considered college to be a possibility.
To learn more about the work HCC is doing to connect with K-12 students in our community, read the full article from Community College Daily.
