Lowering the Cost of College While Still in High School

College is expensive, and the sooner you can start to work on lowering the cost, the better off you’ll be.

Many high schools and school districts allow you to earn college credit while in high school. For some options, there may be a cost, but it will usually be much less than the cost of college credits. The best way to learn about these is to contact your school guidance office and ask. This article will talk about a few of the more common ways you can earn college credit in high school.

Advanced Placement classes (AP) are offered in high schools. You take the course as a regular high school course, and in May an exam is offered. The exam is administered by an organization called College Board. When the exam is scored, you receive a grade between 1 and 5. Most colleges will give you college credit for the course if you score a 4 or 5.

You can take the AP course at your high school without taking the College Board exam, but you will not get college credit. In addition, you do not have to take the course in order to take the exam. If you feel you know the material without taking a course, give it a try. The exam has a fee, but it is minimal compared to the cost of the college credits that you might earn. For example, earning full credit for a 3-credit college course can be worth $5,000 or more in tuition credits.

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) authorizes qualified secondary schools to offer the IB curriculum and administer examinations. You must be enrolled in an authorized school to be eligible to sit for IB examinations. Over 2,500 secondary schools in nearly 150 countries offer IB. If you take the exam and receive an acceptable grade, many colleges will grant credit for that course.

Many colleges offer summer programs to high school students. Many of these programs offer rigorous coursework and will allow the student to earn college credit for a passing grade. The cost of the credits will normally be lower than taking the same credits while enrolled in the college. An added benefit to these types of programs is that sometimes the schools will offer undergraduate scholarship money to students who have been successful in the summer programs.

Review your options and look for innovative ways to earn credits before entering college. If you have questions, and would like additional information, pleasecontact us.