Are you a high school student in North Central Colorado looking for a way to get a head start on your college education? Look no further! The University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado Mesa University (CMU), and Aims Community College offer unique dual enrollment programs that provide students with the chance to earn both high school and college credits. Through the Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act (CEPA) and other initiatives, high school students in North Central Colorado have the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school. The CEPA is a state law that allows high school students to simultaneously obtain high school and college credit. Through this program, students can take one to eight educational courses located in the district and transfer them to the teaching itineraries of the University of Colorado at Denver.
The courses are free for high school students in District 51, and CMU Tech also offers free classes. The Cherry Creek School District (CCSD) and the University of Colorado at Denver have partnered to offer the Future Educator's Pathway program. This program allows students to take college classes in high school, allowing them to seamlessly transfer their classes to a four-year university or obtain a credential and go straight to work. Aims Community College also offers concurrent enrollment, which allows eligible students to take courses on the Aims campus while still in high school.
Through this program, students can take a single college class to supplement their high school curriculum, earn certificates in specialized fields, or even complete an associate's degree before graduating. Dual enrollment programs provide North Central Colorado high school students with an invaluable opportunity to get a jump start on their college education and gain valuable knowledge and skills that will help them succeed in their future professional careers. Expanding opportunities from high school to higher education is essential to increasing the number of post-secondary degrees Coloradans earn and reducing high school dropout rates.
