B U S I N E S S + C U LT U R E 23 COVER “Keep in mind this savings to parents is calculated using our low tuition rate,” Jaramillo said. “We are very proud of this.” Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) provides dual enrollment programs at one private and 11 public high schools within its seven-county service region. Lisa Helms, the high school coordinator at Wiregrass Tech’s Ben Hill-Irwin campus, said the popularity of dual enrollment has increased due to more access and lower cost. “There is a convenience in taking classes right here at home,” Helms said. “Some students plan on moving off for college. This gives them the advantage of taking the classes close to home to begin with, as they grow to learn the rigor of college courses.” Through GSFC, the DEP covers tuition, fees, and textbooks for students that meet all the eligibility requirements. Students may incur expenses for course-related fees and supplies or optional fees charged by the postsecondary institution. “I think the parents like the cost factor for our classes,” Helms said. “There are no out-of-pocket expenses for classes or books.” With the cost of college tuition being a barrier for some students, Jaramillo said dual enrollment makes college more accessible to a higher number of Georgia’s high school students. To show the magnitude of the cost savings, Jaramillo explained that during the 2016 to 2017 school year, Wiregrass Tech had 1,886 dual enrollment students taking 16,830 total credit hours, which represents $3 million in total savings. With a fall 2017 dual enrollment of 1,406 students, Colquitt County High School had the highest number of students with 319, followed by Tift County High School with 270. Leigh Wallace, vice president for student affairs at SRTC, said developing programs that meet the regional workforce demand Leigh Wallace Southern Regional Technical College Lisa Helms, Wiregrass Tech high school coordinator, talks with dual enrollment student Hope Hutchinson. The popularity of technical and certificate programs varies from area to area. For example, in Tift County it is mechatronics, in Colquitt County it is construction, while in Thomas County welding is popular among high school students. - Leigh Wallace PHOTO: PAT GALLAGHER