The West Virginia University Extended Learning ACCESS program offers high school students the opportunity to enroll at WVU courses and earn college credit.
High school students with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale who have completed their junior year of high school can participate with permission from a parent or guardian and high school principal, vice principal or guidance counselor.
Classes can be taken online and off-campus through WVU Extended Learning. Fees for those classes depend on the number of credit hours and enrollment. On-campus classes are paid as regular tuition, but if the high school offers courses, they are at a reduced rate.
“We have about 24 counties and their high schools participating, which is around 600 kids just participating off campus,” said Cheryl Crowley, program coordinator for WVU Extended Learning. “Students like to take online classes because of their convenience, but online it is not for everyone.”
Online classes are less expensive than on-campus classes because “on-campus fees” such as athletic fees or student recreation fees are not charged.
Erin Fansler, a junior animal and nutritional sciences major, participated in the on-campus Access program while attending University High School. She took Biology 101, 102, 103 and 104, throughout her senior year.
“I really enjoyed this experience because not only did I get my Biology out of the way, but it made me ready for college because I got to understand what college classes were really like, especially having to go to classes with over 200 people,” she said.
Credit for the coursework will be recorded on an official WVU transcript. The credit can be used at WVU or other institutions of higher education.
The Board of Education of the county where the student resides decides if the credits count toward high school graduation.
“Most students take one to two classes a semester, which enables them to get basic classes out of the way,” Crowley said. “For example, kids could finish up their math in one year while still in high school.”
katiann.marshall@mail.wvu.edu
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