Students are getting a jumpstart to college without ever setting foot inside of one.
Graduate from high school. Then, go to college or a trade school.
That's the old way of thinking.
“I know my sister took dual credit when she was a sophmore in college - standing because of how many credits she saved herself,” says Jessica Swanson, 17, a junior at Gretna High.
The new school way at the high school features dual credit courses. Similar to Advanced Placement courses, students take a class while in high school and watch the credit transfer to college.
But under the curriculum, it didn't always happen that way, according to school officials.
So the high school, along with more than 20 other local high schools, partnered with Metropolitan Community College to ensure those credits count.
“Most of them are done here on campus and our teachers have to have a masters degree and have so many hours, I believe 15 hours in that particular area in order to teach,” says Principal Roger Miller.
The load work is brutal, says senior Luke Allgood. But, it’s worth it, he says.
“All my friends are going out, hanging out weeknights and I’m home doing homework,” Allgood says. “But I think of it in the future, they're going to be doing Calculus 1 and 2 again and I’ll be enjoying myself."
For about $44 per course, this small investment saves thousands of dollars for college, Roger says.
It also means you could start as a freshmen with an upper class standing if you take enough classes.
That's what Gretna High graduate Nate Plugge did at the University Of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"I'm already taking sophomore [and] junior level classes right now as a freshmen," he says.
Whether you want to get English or math out of the way or take pre-requisite courses for your major, officials say the program will put you ahead of the learning curve.
