When most people consider strategies to deal with student debt, they focus on tactics that can be employed after they have already borrowed funds to attend school. However, it is advantageous to take certain steps before borrowing student loans to minimize the amount of debt you need to borrow in order to earn a degree. Of course, not everyone can turn back the clock, but high school students should think about how they can take steps to minimize their student loans. In many situations, earning college credits in high school is possible, and this can lower the amount of money you need to attend college.
Advanced Placement Courses
Advanced Placement courses are one way of earning college credits in high school. Advanced Placement courses are classes in high school that teach subject matter at the college level. At the end of the class, students take an Advanced Placement test in order to show their understanding of a subject. If the student scores high enough on the test, many universities will give that student college credit based on their performance.
When I was in high school, I took six advanced placement courses, and I did well on the tests. My college eventually gave me credit for most of my advanced placement courses, and I was able to basically substitute for an entire semester because I had taken advanced placement courses in high school. I eventually used these credits to help me earn a Master’s degree during my Senior year of college, but I could have easily graduated early because of these credits. The less amount of time you spend in college, the less debt you need to borrow, and earning college credits in high school can substantially impact your bottom line.
Middle College Program Classes
Another way students can go about earning college credits in high school is through a Middle College Program or another similar initiative. This program is run out of a local university and allows some high school juniors and seniors to earn credit at that college. The high school courses typically need to cover certain subjects and meet other requirements in order to earn credits at a local college. Through this program and other initiatives, high school students may even have access to the facilities of a local college.
I took a class through one such program in high school, but was unable to get my eventual college to honor the college credit. From the college’s perspective, there is no test or any other way to verify the learning that occurred in the high school course, so it may be harder to have credit recognized through this program than an advanced placement program. Of course, if I decided to attend the college that sponsored the program, I am confident the college would have accepted the credit, and hooking students to a local university may be one reason to enroll in such classes. However, students need to do their research and make sure their eventual college will honor such credits before they decide to enroll in such a program.
International Baccalaureate
International Baccalaureate programs (or “IB programs” for short) are another way of earning college credit in high school. Like Advanced Placement programs, IB programs are courses in high school which students take that meet set standards. Students learn certain topics that are similar to the subjects which would be learned in college courses. At the end of the class, students take a test to prove the information that they learned throughout their time in the IB program.
If students do well enough on such tests, they can obtain college credit at certain universities. Of course, not all colleges will accept IB credit, and some have different standards for accepting credit. As a result, it is important to do you research and advocate for yourself if you are entitled to college credit from completing an IB program.
Direct College Classes
Taking classes directly at a local community college or university is another way of earning college credit in high school. This is similar to the MCP programs above, but the students actually travel to campus to take college classes. Only certain colleges offer on-campus courses to high school students, so students need to do their research and investigate whether a college in their area has such courses.
At my high school, there was one student that I could remember who took courses at a local community college. He took these classes both to fulfill basic prerequisites for college and to impress universities with the fact that he was already able to succeed at college courses. This student ended up attending a top university and it is possible that his college work as a high school student may have helped him gain admission. This strategy is not appropriate for everyone, but if you are certain that your eventual university will accept your credit, it may make sense to take college courses on campus as a high school student.
All told, earning college credit as a high school student is possible in a variety of circumstances. Many high school students can earn college credit through enrolling in courses offered at their high schools and taking a test. In addition, high school students may also be able to earn college credit by attending on-campus classes at community colleges and universities in their area.