Two universities in Texas began an online program this month that will enable high school students in the state to earn college credits before they receive their high school diploma. The courses are offered through StateU.com, an online partnership between Lamar University in Beaumont and the University of Texas at Arlington. Students can choose courses such as English Composition, American Literature, Biology and Government among others and earn two, three-credit-hour courses each semester for a total of 24 credit hours. The credits then transfer to four-year institutions in Texas as well as other U.S. universities.
“This program gives thousands of young Texans the opportunity to excel by making it possible for them to earn college credit before they graduate from high school,” said Steve Doblin, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Lamar. “Many of these students will discover that they can meet the challenge of higher education, be inspired to pursue a degree at the college of their choosing and be better prepared as they move ahead.”
In fact, Texas law now requires that public school districts offer high school students courses to earn college credit before they complete their high school diploma. The stumbling block in the past has included the logistics of individual districts offering their own courses. This new program enables independent school districts across Texas to offer dual credit courses online. According to Lamar, districts representing about 180,000 juniors and seniors, including those in Houston and Fort Worth, are offering the program to students.
For more info about the new online dual credit program, see http://www.stateu.com/ .
