EVERETT — Acing the class isn’t enough.
Students in College in the High School programs can earn college credits, but $210 per five-credit class is more than some can afford. In Everett Public Schools, nearly a third of students who take College in the High School courses never get the credits, according to Everett Community College.
A new financial aid program aims to change that.
The college’s board of trustees on Tuesday voted to direct $300,000 from reserve funds toward a tuition waiver program for low-income students around Snohomish County. High-schoolers who qualify for free and reduced lunches can apply to earn College in the High School credits for free.
The new program starts Oct. 1 and is expected to cover tuition for at least 1,350 classes during the first year. It includes 18 high schools in the county. Among them are Snohomish, Arlington, Lake Stevens, Granite Falls and several Everett and Marysville high schools. College in the High School instructors are high school teachers who are trained and certified through the program.
“Students can get those credits without leaving their friends and those social aspects of high school that they value,” said Bob Bolerjack, chairman of the college’s board of trustees.
Everett Community College has offered College in the High School for 20 years, but there’s never been a tuition waiver effort this big, program director Karen Landry said. In the past, the Everett Community College Foundation has provided a few scholarships each year.
Landry expects up to a 30 percent increase in College in the High School enrollment with the new waivers. More than 2,700 students took College in the High School classes through Everett Community College in 2014-15, roughly 500 more than the 2,197 in 2010-11. The Snohomish and Everett school districts had the highest number of students enrolled and the most popular classes were math and world languages, including Spanish, French, German and Chinese.
Brian Cherniak teaches environmental science and psychology at Cascade High School. His science lessons are for College in the High School and both classes are Advanced Placement.
“The rigor of the courses is high,” Cherniak said.
He teaches three science classes of about 30 students. Of those 90 total students, about 40 follow through with College in the High School credits, 20 take the AP test and the remaining 30 or so don’t pursue credits. Money is the most common barrier to students who are interested Cherniak.
“I have kids every year that when the window is open they say, ‘I’d like the credit, but I can’t afford it,’ ” he said.
He expects to see more students in his classes and more motivation among the group who previously wouldn’t have been able to afford the credits their work deserved.
“I think it’s a fantastic opportunity and it tells students we believe in you,” he said. “It gives students a leg up and they’re more likely to stay in college if they have that start.”
Administrators and trustees hope that students who gain credit through the new program will enroll at Everett Community College. They aim to offset the cost of waivers by increasing enrollment, and therefore tuition revenue. It’s possible the state Legislature could provide some money in the future. If those sources don’t work out, school districts could be asked to help pay.
One way or another, the goal is to have a long- lasting program.
“One thing I love about community colleges is the open door policy,” Bolerjack said. “We take all students. But there are still some barriers, especially for low-income students, and this is a way to break barriers and get them through that door.”
Landry and Bolerjack want other colleges to consider similar financial aid programs for College in the High School.
“This gives students the confidence and the ability to complete a college-level class, and that will give them the motivation to continue,” Landry said.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Learn more
More information about College in the High School is available online at everettcc.edu/chs or by calling Landry at 425-267-0150.
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