Graduate High School with 2 Years of College Credit - FREE- in Murphy, North Carolina

Worried about how you'll afford the high cost of college tuition for your kids?  An innovative new program in Murphy, North Carolina funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation allows students to graduate high school with 2 FULL YEARS of college credit under their belt, at no cost to you.

 With over 70 schools participating, North Carolina is the national leader in the Learn and Earn Early College program.  This innovative program allows students to go directly from 8^th grade to a community college campus, where they take both high school and college classes at the same time.  On Tuesday, a student will be in Freshman English class and on Wednesday he or she may be sitting next to a 30 year old, getting college credit for a computer class.

Students graduate in 4 years with either an associate degree from the community college or 2 years of college credit, transferrable to any 4 year college or university in the state.  There is no additional cost to parents for the college credits. North Carolina's program even offers special low-cost tuition rates to students who choose to go on for a 4 year degree after high school graduation.

 The program is currently offered at 200 schools in 24 states, including New York, Texas and California.  It was conceived for kids who might not otherwise get a chance at a college education, including students from low-income areas, first-generation college students, and students for whom English is a second language.

 Tri-County Community College here in Murphy is one of the North Carolina locations offering the program.  Enrollment here isn't limited to low-income or non-English speaking students.  The main criteria is whether the student is bright enough to keep up with the increased work load of the classes and has the maturity to handle the environment of a community college campus.  Students apply for admission, are interviewed, and then notified if they are chosen for the program.

 One unexpected bonus?  Educators have found that the dropout rate among the early college students is significantly lower than the state-wide average. Check out the national Learn and Earn Early College website to see if the program is offered in your area.