Whether you know where you’re headed or just want to explore, dual enrollment opens doors.
Your parents have been asking you to think about college a lot lately, and they’re full of questions. You’ve been asking yourself a lot of the same things. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do with your life? There are so many options that it’s hard to decide.
Do you go straight to college after high school? Keep working your part-time job to save up some money first? Get into the job market? Go to trade school? There are so many things you’re interested in, so many passions you want to explore, that committing to just one thing feels totally stifling.
On the other hand, maybe you know exactly what you want to do. You can see the finish line so clearly, and you hate feeling like you’re spinning your wheels. You don’t want to waste time on stuff that doesn’t matter to you. You just want to cut to the chase so you can get on the road to the future you want.
Whichever career path sounds more familiar, Southwest Secondary Learning Center’s dual enrollment program can help you find your way forward.
Try Out College Classes Without Having to Go Full Time
Dual enrollment is an opportunity for high school students to attend college classes for dual credit. You go to the college campus, sit in the classroom lectures, do college-level work, and get college credits. At the same time, that class counts toward the credits you need to graduate high school.
You can take enough classes in high school to graduate with a college degree. Or you can take just one class to try it out and see if you like it. There’s no pressure to choose a degree program, commit to a full-time schedule, or decide today what you want to do for the rest of your academic life.
Graduate High School That Much Closer to a Career
With dual enrollment, because you’re earning high school and college credits, it’s possible to graduate high school with enough college courses for an associate’s degree. A ton of careers only require that two-year degree, so you could walk out of high school graduation right into a high-paying job. Or you could roll all those college credits toward a bachelor’s degree that could open up different career doors.
SSLC dual enrollment students have gone on to do some amazing things with the degrees they earned as high schoolers, from working to revolutionize HR to winning awards as diesel mechanics.
What About the Money?
Dual enrollment is free for high school students. SSLC is a tuition-free charter school, which also covers the cost of dual enrollment tuition, textbooks, and fees. And if you choose to stay in New Mexico for college after graduation, you can get your tuition paid for by the New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship.
To qualify, you just have to be a New Mexico resident actively working toward a degree or certificate program and fill out the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify. The scholarship is available to anyone regardless of need.
So whether you choose to work on your degree in high school without dual credit program or take just a class or two to explore your options, money doesn’t have to be a deciding factor. You can choose how you want your education to go based on your ambitions and interests.
A linear path through high school and college isn’t for everyone. Dual enrollment is a tool that can help you make your academic journey on your own terms. Whether you’re exploring long-term options or speeding up your education, SSLC is here to support you. Talk to your parents today about enrollment, or call (505) 296-7677 to schedule a tour of our campus.
