Created: 8/21/2008 10:29:00 AM 
Greensboro, NC - For the first time at North Carolina A&T State University, 15% of the freshman class is under age 18.
The university credits the state's early college program for fast tracking student's education.
In Guilford County alone, there are more than a half dozen early and middle colleges in the public school system. Through the programs, students earn their high school diplomas and college credit for free.
Joel Williamson is part of the 150 freshmen younger than 18 attending the university this semester.
"I'm not going to lie," said Williamson. "I had a little panic attack. I was like how do I do this," he said.
To make the transition from high school to college easier, each minor gets a student mentor.
"I'm not just thrown into a lion's den. I have a little stick that I can poke around and tell them to back away," said Williamson.
"We have a group within the residence halls called Aggie Pups and we provide programs and activities to those students to make sure they're doing well. Because technically, for that group, we are their parents away from home," said Dr. Sullivan Welborne, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.
Williamson sees the advantages to entering college at a young age. "The younger I am, means I have more time to learn," he said. "This is the real deal."
The university expects the number of freshmen younger than 18 to double next year as more high school students transition out of their early college programs.
WFMY News 2
