If you decide to take the college route after high school, each standard college class costs upwards of $1,000. No matter what college you choose (community, private, public, etc.), each class needed comes with a hefty bill. Although some universities set one tuition rate, there are ways to avoid paying for classes without stepping a foot into college. Some schools offer programs such as International Baccalaureate that excel students to learn at a higher level while earning college credits, but if your school does not offer one of these programs, there are many different ways to do the same without a school-wide initiative.
Advanced Placement Classes $90–110
Advanced Placement, otherwise known as AP, is a program run by College Board that lets students take college-level classes and earn credits in high school. These classes are run by college-certified teachers in high schools across America (and other countries) and are offered on a variety of topics. AP courses are offered to students as early as freshman year and can cut down the price of college classes by an estimated 90%. These classes are challenging courses, taught at a fast pace with a wide frame of information. The curriculum ends in April-May, when students are eligible to take a final AP exam, which determines whether or not they receive college credits. The test is on a 1–5 scale with 4’s and 5’s receiving credits (and in some cases 3’s). Aside from earning college credits, AP classes can look great on your transcript and enticing to college admission officers. For those schools that have only a selection of AP’s/ none at all, there is an option to self-study for the exams. College Board offers a breakdown of the curriculum, books, and sometimes even daily videos that can help students learn and self-educate on sometimes daunting topics.
CLEP Exams $85–95
Another exam offered by College Board is the College-Level Examination Program, also known as the CLEP exam. AP exams are a more commonly used pre-college exam, but CLEP is still offered and accepted nonetheless. It tests on information offered in introductory college classes on a wide variety of topics. Scores range from 20–80, with 50 being the average credit-gaining score. Taking one or many of these exams can slice off $1,000 classes, giving students a lighter load freshman year and more room to take classes that are more interesting than the basics. Just like the SAT’s, students can sign up for these throughout the year at different testing centers. There are guides and practice tests that College Board offers to help self-study.
Dual Enrollment $120–450
Some high schools offer programs with local community colleges and universities that allow students to earn college credits by paying a certain amount and keeping a certain grade in the class. Teachers are certified in the curriculum of the college course and encourage students to learn at a higher level of thinking. These collaborations between high schools and colleges have different requirements of grades/ averages to keep in order to gain college credits, but usually students must have higher than a C-. In other cases, there may be a certain test to pass given by the college. Taking advantage of dual enrollment courses can be extremely helpful in getting out of required courses and saving money. If your high school does not offer these classes throughout the school year, many colleges do so online. For usually around the same price, colleges will offer online courses in different topics that can be completed to gain college credits. Summer tends to be a popular semester in terms of online courses since there is no school, but local colleges do so all year. Taking advantage of college courses while in high school allows students to not only save money but also gain experience of college courses and be prepared.
Volunteer, Jobs, and Scholarships
Sometimes, you will come across chances to gain college credits. These can come with certain jobs, volunteer experiences, or scholarships. It is not common to find these opportunities, mainly because of age, but certain experiences can help you gain credits. For example, some Walgreens stores offer apprenticeships for people over 16 to be a Pharmacy Technician. They lead you towards getting a certification and completing 8 college credits. That being said, few stores offer this opportunity. Coming across college credits all comes down to researching, reaching out, and not being afraid to try new things.
Earning college credits early has many benefits. Along with learning at a higher order, students are able to save around $900 per class they gain credits for as well as skip introductory classes as a freshman. That being said, there is no rush or pressure to complete college in high school. Taking it one AP class or CLEP exam at a time, you can rack up college credits easily yet slowly, and be better prepared for college.
Works Cited
CLEP Exams; College Board, https://clep.collegeboard.org/clep-benefits-for-everyone
Hanson Melanie. “Average Cost per Credit Hour” EducationData.org March 31st, 2022. https://educationdata.org/cost-of-a-college-class-or-credit-hour
Learners: Seeking Credit, ACE American Council on Education, https://www.acenet.edu/National-Guide/Pages/default.aspx
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