TUITION-FREE CLASSES FOR
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The highly successful Career and College Promise tuition-free program at Rowan-Cabarrus provides the opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to get a “jump start” on their degree while still in high school.

“This fantastic program allows students to simultaneously enroll in high school and college so that they can receive both high school and college credit for courses taken as part of the program,” said Cyndie Mynatt, vice chair of the College’s board of trustees.

Michael Walker, a 2015 graduate of Cox Mill High School in Concord, graduated with transferable college courses under his belt by taking advantage of the program.

“The program interested me because I wanted to shorten the time and money spent on my undergraduate education,” said Michael. “I believe these courses not only helped with my admittance to UNC, but gave me a leg-up with the college experience as a whole. Everything transferred seamlessly.”

Unlike the early college high school programs, Career and College Promise allows students to remain very involved in their current high school. They can still play sports and engage in all of the regular extracurricular activities.

“One perk of this opportunity is getting to experience real college classes – students ultimately feel better prepared when they transfer because they’re confident in their ability to do college-level work,” said Dr. Michael Quillen, vice president for academic programs.

Michael worked with his high school guidance counselor and Rowan-Cabarrus counselors to strategically plan his courses based on the transfer equivalency at UNC, essentially cutting his time at university to just two and a half years. Now, Walker’s brother is a high school senior and he is helping him navigate the program.

There are two tracks for the Career & College Promise program – one allows students to specialize in a career or technical pathway, while the other allows students to prepare for general transfer.

In addition to the college transfer classes, Rowan-Cabarrus offers options for students to get a head start in careers like fire protection, criminal justice, machining, cosmetology, web technologies, welding and more. Students can take as many classes as their schedule allows, with some students taking as many as four college classes in a single semester.

Over the last few years, the College has increased its offerings by providing dedicated classes and sections that fall within the high school schedule in both counties.

“We look forward to seeing further expansion in this area as more parents and students become aware of what very well may be the best kept secret to getting ahead while still in high school,” said President Spalding.

In addition to the aspect of the program that allows high school students to remain enrolled at their current high school, the College also has three early college high school programs, the latest of which opened in the fall of 2016 at the College’s Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC). These popular, prestigious high school/college programs allow students to earn a high school diploma and an associate degree simultaneously. Many graduates of these successful programs go on to earn significant scholarships and transfer as juniors to highly respected universities.