通往成功的捷径

双重信用 Options Allow Post Falls Graduate to do 她的大学之路

没有债务. A jump-start on a dream. Laser focus from an early age. 艾玛·阿曼，21年, saw how 双重信用 could open doors, so she set out to make the most of it.

Accessibility was key. Her school, Post Falls High, enrolled more students in 双重信用 courses through University of Idaho than any other high school in the state. 另外, nearby North Idaho College hosted a robust 双重信用 program with online and face-to-face options on its Coeur d’Alene campus. Courses were plentiful, and Idaho’s 快进程序 would foot most of the bill with its $4,125 advanced opportunities allocation for seventh to twelfth grade public school students statewide.

“All around me students were suddenly on a mission to earn their associate degree in high school,阿尔曼说. “I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, I want to do it right’.”

让它发挥作用

Course availability and state funding provided a strong start, but determination served as Arman’s fuel. During her sophomore year of high school, she set her sights on becoming a chief sustainability officer for a major company. 与, she decided an 环境科学 degree was in her future and knew 双重信用 could help expedite her goals.

"I had this drive to prove I could set my own path and write my own story.” 艾玛·阿曼，21年

“I wanted to do my own thing,阿尔曼说. “I had this drive to prove I could set my own path and write my own story.”

The path involved challenging courses starting early in high school, conversations with many advisors and researching how her credits would aid her in earning her desired degree.

“Dual credit offers a soft start to the college experience,” said Marlyne佩雷斯, interim program manager for 双重信用 at U of I. “If students experience the rigor of college courses in high school with their peers and they succeed, they become driven and excited to continue their education.”

下一个步骤

精心策划, Arman graduated high school with an associate degree on her resume and only four semesters needed to complete her bachelor’s. She started at U of I in 莫斯科 as a junior and earned her Bachelor of Science in 环境科学 两年后.

“Dual credit and the chance to earn my associate degree in high school was everything,阿尔曼说. “It gave me a fire in high school. It gave me the insight to help others, and it was a huge help financially, like opening the door to the Idaho Postsecondary Credit Scholarship.”

With a successful experience under her belt, Arman volunteers her time by going back to her district to help others take advantage of the 双重信用 program. She encourages counselors and students to plan ahead and evaluate how each course might connect to a desired degree. Earning a full associate degree in high school, 她说, 不是每个人都适合, although Arman is proof the payoff can be well worth the effort.