Some Community Colleges Offer Free College Credit for High Schoolers

2023 · VOA Learning English

This speaker is a general-american model. Each line below can be recorded and scored against it.

Transcript

1. Kara Baker recently graduated from high school in the state of Indiana. She earned more than a high school diploma however.

   0.0s–11.7sPractise this

2. She also completed a two-year associate degree at the local community college, Ivy Tech.

   12.0s–20.7sPractise this

3. This summer, Baker is taking more classes at Ivy Tech before beginning her studies at Purdue University, also in Indiana.

   21.0s–32.8sPractise this

4. She hopes to become a veterinarian In many areas in the U.S., students can earn college credit at community colleges while they are still in high school.

   34.0s–48.8sPractise this

5. Many of these programs are called dual-credit programs.

   49.0s–55.1sPractise this

6. And in recent years, some community colleges have begun offering courses to high schoolers at no cost during the summer.

   55.0s–66.8sPractise this

7. Programs like these aim to get more students to enter community college and to help them finish programs they have already started.

   68.6s–79.7sPractise this

8. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center provides reporting on issues in education.

   80.0s–88.8sPractise this

9. It said enrollment at community colleges has decreased by nearly 40 percent over the past 10 years.

   89.0s–98.7sPractise this

10. Ivy Tech was the answer. “I felt very behind due to Covid,” Baker says.

    111.7s–125.6sPractise this

11. “[High] school slowed down, but my online college classes continued on.

    126.0s–132.7sPractise this

12. During the 2019-2020 school year, there were over 63,000 Indiana high school students in Ivy Tech’s dual-credit program.

    143.5s–156.7sPractise this

13. But the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for some students to finish the program.

    157.0s–165.7sPractise this

14. As a result, Ivy Tech began its “Crossing the Finish Line” program in summer of 2021.

    166.0s–175.7sPractise this

15. The program lets high school students who are close to finishing their studies at Ivy Tech take their remaining classes at no cost during the summer.

    176.0s–189.7sPractise this

16. The program saw completion of 714 programs of study in summer of 2021, and an additional 900 during the 2021-22

    190.0s–204.5sPractise this

17. school year. Students paid for any courses they had to finish during the fall or spring.

    206.1s–214.7sPractise this

18. The results of the Crossing the Finish Line program were good.

    215.0s–219.6sPractise this

19. So, in 2022, Ivy Tech began offering free college credit courses in summer to high school students, even if they were not in a dual-credit

    220.0s–234.5sPractise this

20. In the U.S., students from grades 9-12 are usually between 14 and 18 years old.

    245.0s–256.8sPractise this

21. Including both the Crossing the Finish Line and other free summer courses, this year nearly 8,000 Indiana high schoolers are taking free college classes at

    257.6s–272.8sPractise this

22. A three-credit class at Ivy Tech usually costs students about

    287.0s–300.7sPractise this

23. $510. The Indiana Department of Education pays for the Crossing the Finish Line program, while Ivy Tech is spending about 3.6 million dollars to pay for other summer classes.

    300.6s–312.9sPractise this

24. Baker told VOA Learning English that the college classes might save her up to two years of college credit as she works towards becoming a veterinarian.

    313.0s–327.5sPractise this

25. For her, the college credit she received means less money spent on student loans.

    328.0s–335.7sPractise this

26. “As I look at future student loans, I am grateful for the opportunities Ivy Tech presented,” she said.

    336.0s–345.7sPractise this

27. Seeing students finish their programs and continue in higher education makes the cost worth it, said Monica Marianna Hingst.

    346.5s–357.7sPractise this

28. She is Interim Vice President for K-14 and Strategic Initiatives at Ivy Tech. “Getting students to come here and take courses for free is great.

    358.0s–372.9sPractise this

29. It’s even better when it’s aligned toward a completion, because once you earn that certification, or once you earn that degree, you are now setting yourself up for success.”

    373.2s–387.1sPractise this

30. Its JumpStart2NOVA program permits students who finish high school in the spring to take college courses for free during the summer.

    398.0s–411.1sPractise this

31. NOVA started the program in 2020 to help students continue their education during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    411.2s–422.7sPractise this

32. In addition to classes, students receive free online help with their studies.

    423.0s–430.0sPractise this

33. They can also attend free weekly information sessions on how to succeed in their education.

    431.0s–440.7sPractise this

34. There are about 700 students in the program this year.

    441.0s–446.7sPractise this

35. JumpStart2NOVA helps both the students, the community college, and the local community, said Dr. Eun-Woo Chang, Chief Academic Officer at NOVA.

    447.7s–461.5sPractise this

36. He noted that having more students finish their programs of study helps provide skilled workers for the local economy.

    462.0s–473.7sPractise this

37. “It’s a good investment to make them to stay at NOVA and also Northern Virginia, so this helps the regional economy here.”

    474.2s–481.8sPractise this

38. He added, “Community colleges are in the community that needs a lot more resources…they are underserved. We are here for them.”

    482.0s–495.5sPractise this

39. Chemeketa Community College is in the state of Oregon.

    496.0s–504.5sPractise this

40. Its BOLT program offers 12 different five-week college credit courses for free for up to 450 students in the summer.

    504.9s–514.6sPractise this

41. The students must be entering or finishing their last year of high school.

    515.0s–520.7sPractise this

42. Like the program at Ivy Tech in Indiana, the BOLT program also pays for the cost of textbooks.

    521.0s–530.7sPractise this

43. Chemeketa designed the BOLT program because Covid-19 affected the schools in the area.

    531.0s–539.7sPractise this

44. The program supports students who have fewer chances to take college courses for credit.

    540.0s–547.8sPractise this

45. “Ivy Tech took my learning and thinking to that next level. I feel I am better prepared to manage the college experience,” she said.

    557.0s–568.7sPractise this

46. Baker added, “I felt I was driven more as a student, as I saw a more diverse future outlook compared to my fellow high school students.”

    569.5s–581.7sPractise this