Greensboro, NC - The cost to attend college rises nearly every year, leaving students wishing to attend college in a real financial struggle, but Guilford County Schools are helping students lower this cost through Middle and Early Colleges.
There are seven middle colleges and two early colleges in Guilford County, and they follow a kind of hybrid college/high school model.
Students enrolled in these programs take college level classes in conjunction with high school classes, and in the process, can earn up to two years of college credit, which can add up to an Associate Degree along with a High School Diploma.
All of these college credits are earned tuition free and the net result is a lot of money saved.
The average student debt for borrowers is $23,000, and in a tough economy, paying these loans back can be a very hard task following gradation from college.
Middle and Early Colleges can help lower these costs because students enter with college credit, this shortens the length of time they are in college, and the tuition they would otherwise have to pay.
All campuses of the University of North Carolina system accept associate degrees as a full two years of college credit, allowing high school seniors to enter college as Juniors.
Almost two thousand college hours were passed in high school by Guilford County students this year alone.
Middle and Early Colleges have also proven to make college an option for students who never considered college before. The Middle College at North Carolina A&T University will have a 100% college graduation and college acceptance rate, a major milestone for the Middle College.
WFMY News 2