Jamie Bird, Valdosta State University dual enrollment coordinator, worked closely with Alana Hiers as she transitioned from a dual enrollment student to a full-time student.
With hard work, perseverance, and planning high school students are getting a jump-start on their college career Through Georgia’s Dual Enrollment Program (DEP).
Formerly known as Move on When Ready (MOWR), the DEP allows students in 9th to 12th grade to earn college credits, a certificate, diploma, or associate degree while working toward satisfying requirements for a high school diploma.
In 2015, Governor Nathan Deal signed the MOWR Act, which streamlined the state’s existing dual enrollment programs and provided additional funding, broader course offerings, and summer enrollment options.
According to Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), with changes to the program, there has been a significant increase in dual enrollment participation.
“The response from postsecondary institutions, high schools, students, and parents has been extremely positive,” said Walt Rabon, media relations specialist with GSFC. “We have seen tremendous growth in participation.”
According to Rabon, in fiscal year 2017, approximately 36,000 Georgia high school students participated in dual enrollment, an increase from 27,512 in 2016.
“The response from postsecondary institutions, high schools, students, and parents has been extremely positive.We have seen tremendous growth in participation.”–Walt Rabon, Georgia Student Finance Commission
Opportunities and Access
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College provides dual enrollment programs to 21 public and private high schools in its 11-county service region. With courses offered on all four campuses, at participating high schools, and online, Wiregrass Tech served 1,488 dual enrollment students during fall 2017. Coffee County High School had the highest number of dual enrolled students with 223, followed by Fitzgerald High School with 183 students.
“We have a unique perspective in working with our dual enrollment students,” said Brooke Jaramillo, executive director of high school services at Wiregrass Tech. “Many of our students thought college was a possibility. Then we see them taking a few classes, and with support from their high school counselors and Wiregrass teachers, they begin to succeed, and they know they can do it. We also work with top students who know college is their next step. They also appreciate getting their first taste of college with a lot of support.”
Jaramillo said one of the goals of dual enrollment is to help high school students get excited about college and discover their options.
“Sometimes, we work with students who are about to drop out of high school; maybe they are burned out or have no more interest in school,” Jaramillo said. “By offering classes on the high school campus, we can get them in a welding, automotive, or nursing class. When they see the options, they get excited and motivated to do more.”
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.
“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.
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 is essential to the success of the dual enrollment program. She also addressed the dual enrollment program benefits by saving students time and money in getting them to their career goals.
“The popularity of technical and certificate programs varies from area to area,” Wallace said. “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.”
Wallace added that the healthcare programs are popular throughout the region.
“The healthcare programs are highly sought after with all of our students and in several of our high schools,” Wallace said. “We also have several hundred students in the degree level core courses that students will hopefully use to continue into courses at SRTC; however, these courses will transfer to any college in the state of Georgia.”
Providing Support to Succeed
Jamie Bird, the dual enrollment coordinator at Valdosta State University, said with recent changes in the state’s dual enrollment program it has become an attractive option for highly motivated and talented high school students.
“The number one goal of our students is to still graduate from high school,” Bird said, “but if they can complete courses as part of being dual enrolled and receive credits at both institutions, then that just helps them move forward in a variety of ways that enhance their educational opportunities.”
During the past three years, Valdosta State has established a Dual Enrollment Honors Academy to help students have an academically challenging and successful dual enrollment experience.
Bird said while the state does pay the tuition associated with dual enrollment courses, Valdosta State wants to make sure students are properly advised.
“We work with each high school counselor making sure students take the specific courses that meet their educational needs and not just take courses for the sake of getting something free,” Bird said.
Valdosta State’s fall 2017 dual enrollment was 184 students taking more than 600 courses.
“While courses are transferable to most Georgia institutions, we like to remind our students that the ultimate goal is to take courses that lead them to a degree,” Bird said. “Again, this is where the advising piece is so important. We utilize the help of our Centralized Advising Center as well as other departments, professors, etc. for their advice when working with our students. For us, this is huge in making sure our students are in the right classes that will help them in the future.”
Bird said Valdosta State works to build relationships with its dual enrollment students so that after high school graduation the university will remain high on their list of potential schools.
Cynthia Hall, director of Honors and Dual Enrollment at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), said it is about having a good fit and being academically ready.
“We require our dual enrollment students to score higher on the ACT and SAT than a regularly admitted freshman,” Hall said. “They also must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in high school. We want our students to do their best, and we don’t want to set them up for failure.”
Hall advises each of ABAC’s dual enrollment students and emphasizes the importance of making sure they are academically and socially ready to take college classes.
“We want to do what is best for all of our students, and there are some pressures for them to start college early,” Hall said, “so we want to make sure they are ready.”
With 196 dual enrollment students for fall 2017, Hall said the numbers have been increasing.
“We want to help each student prepare for their future,” Hall said. “We hope they will want to stay at ABAC, but we are preparing them to go on to other schools and be successful. We want them to be well prepared wherever they go.”
Hall said it is important to provide a positive college experience and to prepare each student to succeed academically, whether they remain at ABAC or transfer to another institution.
Fitzgerald High Students Find Wiregrass Georgia Tech the Perfect Match
Tyree Pryor, Hope Hutchinson, and David Echeverria
Fitzgerald High School students Tyree Pryor, David Echeverria, and Hope Hutchinson are taking advantage of the state’s dual enrollment program through Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.
Pryor and Echeverria, who are both seniors, are taking college classes while balancing football practice and part-time jobs.
With a career goal to become an anesthesiologist, Pryor understands that taking dual enrollment classes will give him an extra push academically and save money.
“I want to get ahead on my college credits and get started on my major,” said Pryor, who is president of the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America organization at Fitzgerald High School. “I also want to get out of college as debt free as possible.”
Echeverria, who wants to major in criminal justice, takes a combination of online and evening classes at Wiregrass Tech’s Ben Hill-Irwin campus.
“It’s a lot of work, and it takes time figuring out when I can take classes,” said Echeverria, who started taking dual enrollment classes his senior year. “After football practice, I go to the Ben Hill-Irwin campus and take classes until 9 p.m. With school, football, and work it’s a lot, but worth it. I wish I had started classes earlier.”
Hutchinson, who is a sophomore, said the flexibility of dual enrollment classes allows her to gain college credits, while still being able to participate in her school’s musical performances.
“I want to take as many college classes while in high school so I can transfer to college as a sophomore,” said Hutchinson, who is a member of the Beta Club. “I have a lot going on, but I am learning to keep all my activities in my planner. I couldn’t make it without my planner.”
Lanier County High School Student Continues College Career at Valdosta State
When Alana Hiers moved into the residence hall at Valdosta State University, she not only knew her way around campus but also had more than 30 hours of college credit on the books.
With the goal of attending medical school, the dual enrollment program provided Hiers with the chance to get her college core classes completed while still in high school.
“By doing dual enrollment, I can choose to graduate earlier than 2021 and get into medical school sooner,” Hiers said.
A 2017 graduate of Lanier County High School, Hiers said the dual enrollment program challenged her academically and provided an expanded classroom experience.
“The freedom of not being in the classroom all day was really my favorite part,” said Hiers, who earned the Zell Miller Scholarship and Valdosta State University’s Jennett Scholarship, which is the institution’s most prestigious academic scholarship. “My grades also went up when I came to Valdosta State because I was being challenged and I was interested in the classes I was taking.”
Hiers said the social adjustments of being in high school while taking classes on a college campus can be challenging.
“I barely saw many of my high school peers,” said Hiers, who is a biology major. “The age gap makes it hard to connect with the other college students. Eventually, I got past both of these things, but it did take some efforts.”
Irwin County Student Connects with ABAC for Dual Enrollment Classes
Two weeks before Robby Espano graduates from Irwin County High School in May 2018, he will have already walked across the stage at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and earned an Associate of Science in general studies.
While a high school junior, Espano became a full-time dual enrollment student at ABAC. At the time he was not old enough to drive to ABAC’s campus, so Espano and his father made the 30-minute commute from Ocilla to Tifton.
“ABAC was my main choice for dual enrollment classes,” said Espano. “They have a large selection of advanced math courses, including calculus two and three.”
In addition to his classes at ABAC, Espano’s quest for knowledge took him to Harvard University to participate in the university’s prestigious Secondary School Program. For seven weeks, Espano attended academically challenging college classes taught by Harvard professors.
For the past three years, Espano has spent the majority of his school day at ABAC; however, he is still able to participate in high school activities.
“I don’t feel that I am missing out on high school activities,” said Espano, who is a member of the Irwin County High School tennis team and actively involved in the Technology Student Association Club and Vex Robotics Team. “I like the college schedule. In high school, you have a six-block schedule, and you are in the same building from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. In college, you have classes that meet twice a week or three times a week, so there is a lot more flexibility.”
With the career goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, Espano has applied at Harvard University, as well as Baylor University and Rice University.
Coffee County Student Earns Associate Degree at South Georgia State College, Moves on to Clark Atlanta University
Photo Credit: Curtis McDowell for Clark Atlanta University
D’Carius Clark started at the head of the class when he arrived at Clark Atlanta University in August 2017.
Before graduating from Coffee County High School with honors, Clark had already earned an Associate of Arts in general studies from South Georgia State College in Douglas.
Managing a challenging academic schedule, along with playing high school football, Clark said being a dual enrollment student prepared him for the fast pace of college life.
“I think as far as the way curriculum and coursework are different from that of high school, dual enrollment prepared me tremendously as a student,” said Clark, who was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa honor society while attending South Georgia State College. “It allowed me to see the workload, how to balance my class schedules, how to prepare for tests, and a ton of other aspects that come with being a college student.”
Clark, who plans to attend medical school, said the experiences and lessons learned as a dual enrollment student provided him with a solid foundation to continue his college journey.
“The best thing about dual enrollment was that it allowed me to begin a new experience and start college early while I was in high school,” Clark said. “It provided a blueprint for the place I am in my life right now at Clark Atlanta University, which makes my experience much easier.”