High school students can earn credits early

Beginning in fall 2008, students at Bloomington High School North and Bloomington High School South will be able to obtain college credit through the new Bloomington Early College Program. \nThe program will allow high school students to take IU or Ivy Tech Community College classes, either by going to the campuses or by having professors come teach within the school. The purpose of the program is to increase the number of first-generation college students and encourage students who come from low-income families to go onto college after high school, said Jim Harvey, superintendent of the Monroe County Community School Corporation.\n“We want to encourage and support that and help make it possible,” Harvey said.\nThe Bloomington Early College Program was established after both schools received recommendations from an outside source that the program would benefit high school students by helping them transition from high school to a higher education, Harvey said. \nBoth IU and Ivy Tech are working closely with the Monroe County school system for this program, said Nancy Frost, assistant dean for academic affairs at Ivy Tech.\n“We are very enthusiastic for first-time college attendees to be part of this program,” Frost said. \nAlthough the program is aimed at low income and first-generation students, anyone can take the classes, Harvey said.\nThe program will be open to everyone at the high school level, including high school freshmen, Frost said. The number of students who will be able to participate in this program depends on the number of applicants.\nStudents in these “cross-walk courses” will receive credit at both the high school and collegiate levels, Frost said. Other details of the program are currently being worked out, Harvey said. \nHarvey would ideally like accredited faculty members from IU or Ivy Tech to teach college classes at the high schools. However, it is possible for students to take regular college classes at either the IU or Ivy Tech campus. \nThe new program is currently working with a $50,000 government grant, Harvey said. As of now, the grant will only cover the students’ tuition costs, so students would have to buy the textbooks required for these courses. If students choose to take these classes at the IU campus or the Ivy Tech campus, transportation would also be left up to the individual student.