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High Volume of High School Students Already Have College Credit

D51 students earn 8,000 college credits through CMU/WCCC this past school year

For the 2021-22 school year, Mesa County Valley School District 51 students earned more than 8,000 college credits from Colorado Mesa University/Western Colorado Community College.

Concurrent enrollment allows high school students to receive college credit for college level courses in a variety of different fields with the cost of tuition covered by the school district. Many students enjoy the experience so much that they earn multiple credits before graduation - all without taking on the financial burden of tuition.

D51 Director of Career and College Readiness Cheryl Taylor said concurrent enrollment gives students a chance to experience college one class at a time and make sure it’s right for them before enrolling full-time.

“Our students who take concurrent enrollment classes graduate with a head start on their college career and graduate with the confidence that they are prepared for college-level work,” said Taylor. 

In 2021-22, 812 D51 students took advantage of concurrent enrollment and completed a total of 8,053 college credit hours.

“We have high school students that are bused to our campus on a daily basis. They take courses that count toward a degree or certificate — all at no cost to them— and when they graduate, they not only have college credit, but they also have industry credentials,” said Brigitte Sundermann, vice president of community college affairs. “We also host more than 100 camps during the summer. Students can be a chef one week and a mechanic the next. We’re doing everything we can to get students interested early and help them find their career of choice.”

Any high school student interested in concurrent enrollment is encouraged to talk with their school counselor or visit WCCC's website.

Beyond concurrent courses, adults interested in taking WCCC courses or earning a degree/certificate can now do so at a much lower rate with the WCCC affordability initiative. Beginning Fall 2022, tuition and fees for WCCC career and technical education courses will be reduced by nearly 40% to $197 per credit hour. Discover all the programs available at coloradomesa.edu/wccc/tuition.

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Written by Staff