DE charter allows students to earn credits before college

Allowing students to earn credits before college, a Delaware Charter School’s partnership with Delaware State University is helping high-schoolers cut the costs and time associated with a college degree.

“You will essentially have almost two years of college paid for.”, Says Dr. Evelyn Edney, the director of Early College High School.

Early College High School’s special program allows it’s qualified students, who are dual-enrolled in both the high school and DSU, to complete up to 60 college credits.

Students attend the courses in groups of four or five and the professors aren’t told which of them aren’t in college.

“We want them to blend in just like everyone else.”

Stepping up to the plate and succeeding at the collegiate level is no easy task for a high schooler.

That’s why not just anyone can qualify.

Current freshman this year must take introductory high school courses before some of them advance to college classes.

For students looking to take part in the program next year, the application period begins on November second.

Dr. Edney says, “We look at grades, attendance, behavior. We want to make sure students are ready for this. This is actually a very rigorous program, we want to make sure they’re college-ready.”

32 sophomore students who previously made the grade were selected to take college classes with a STEM-based emphasis.

“We want the students to be really learning in science, technology, engineering and math whether it’s in their high school courses or their college courses.”

Dr. Edney also tells 47 ABC that they’re working with Delaware State University to have a building for the charter school built on on the college campus.

They hope to have that in place within the next few years.