Papillion La Vista Community Schools has teamed up with Metropolitan Community College - Sarpy Center campus to create a program that helps high school students gain college experience at a reduced rate while still in high school.
College Jump Start is different than dual enrollment because the students take the classes on the college campus. The credits count toward their high school diploma and count as college credit.
They can take one of three programs: senior transition, information technology computer programming or information technology network technician.
John Schwartz is the Papillion La Vista Community Schools assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. He says the program provides students with great experience while they still have their support system fully in place, "they're going to get the chance to start college while they're still in high school, when they still have their parents at home, they still have their counselor at school, they have their other teacher."
The students pay $796.50 for the year program which is 27 credits. That's the equivalent of a semester worth of classes. And the students receive a reduced rate. It's $29.50 per credit hour. Typical, in-state tuition at MCC is $61 per credit hour. The Papillion La Vista Schools Foundation helps offset the cost for this program.
