SCSD Awarded $75K Grant For Dual Credit Course Tuition

Central High School students will have the opportunity during the 2023-24 school year to earn college credits at no cost to the students or their parents/guardians as a result of a $75,000 grant awarded to the District. On May 1, the PA Department of Education announced that $6.7 million in grant awards would be distributed to 100 schools across the Commonwealth, including the Spring Cove School District.

According to Acting Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, "Dual credit programs help high school students get a jump start on their postsecondary coursework, build their confidence, and set them up for future success."

Central High School has been providing students with this jump start for several years, by offering dual credit courses at significantly reduced tuition rates through affiliation agreements with Mount Aloysius College, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, and Saint Francis University. Central High School teachers, who meet the credential requirements, are approved by the post-secondary schools to instruct rigorous courses aligned to the college course syllabi. Students enrolled in these courses then earn high school graduation credits along with college credits, which can be applied toward a degree at a wide range of post-secondary institutions.

CHS dual-enrollment course offerings are guided by the 30-Credit Transfer Framework, a menu of general education courses, which transfer toward a degree at any participating Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) school including all universities within the PA State System of Higher Education, a number of community colleges, and many private schools.

Non-participating universities will often accept transferred credits, as well. Central High School currently offers 21 unique dual credit courses including accounting, American history, American national government, world civilizations, biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, statistics, English composition I and II, creative writing, public speaking, psychology, sociology, introduction to music, microcomputer applications, computer science principles, cybersecurity fundamentals, beginning Spanish, and intermediate Spanish.

Based on current enrollment projections, the district hopes to fully fund the cost of tuition for all dual credit courses taken by CHS students in 2023-24, using the grant funds. Because the full $75,000 must be expended to support dual credit programming during the 2023-24 school year, any remaining grant funds, after paying for student tuition, will be used toward additional supplies (ex. textbooks) for the dual credit courses.

Dual credit courses improve academic achievement and increase students' post-secondary success. Earning college credits in high school can save families thousands of tuition dollars, enable students to graduate from college in less than the standard four years, and/or allow students to complete an additional major or minor to expand their career opportunities.