\nMarch 30 and April 8, from 6-7 p.m.
\nHighland Business Center, room 201
\n5930 Middle Fiskville Rd.
\nAustin, 78752
\nFor more information, contact ecs@austincc.edu <\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Sergio De Anda, a senior at Pflugerville High School, plans to be the first in his family to earn a bachelor\u2019s degree. When he sets foot on his college campus this fall, he\u2019ll already be well on his way to meeting that goal. That\u2019s because Sergio took part in the Austin Community College District\u2019s Early College Start program, which gives students an opportunity to earn up to a year of transferable college credit that also satisfies high school requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will have 30 credit hours by the time I go to college. That\u2019s an entire year\u2019s worth of classes,\u201d says 17-year-old Sergio, who would like to attend Texas State University or the University of North Texas. \u201cAnd I did it without paying any tuition. I saved so much money.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Sergio](\"http:\/\/wordpress-test.austincc.edu\/test3\/files\/2010\/03\/sergio-300x199.jpg\" "\\"Sergio")
<\/a><\/p>\nSergio De Anda in class at ACC's Northridge Campus<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Early College Start allows students to take up to two courses per semester, beginning the summer before their junior year of high school. Students can earn credit by attending ACC classes at their high schools, at any ACC campus or center, and through distance learning. Tuition and fees are waived for students who reside in the ACC taxing district, as well as for students who live outside the taxing district but take their ACC classes on a high school campus. The remainder of non-taxing district students pays a nominal fee of $40 per course.<\/p>\n
Early College Start offerings include core academic courses, such as biology, art, math, and sociology. It also provides access to workforce programs, including accounting, automotive technology, computer information systems, and hospitality. While those workforce programs are specialized and may not be applicable to other institutions, ACC\u2019s academic transfer courses are accepted for credit at any Texas public college or university.<\/p>\n
That transferability of credit hours is what\u2019s giving Sergio a head start on college. He has already earned credit for speech, a computer course, English, U.S. history, drawing, introduction to visual arts, and U.S. government; he is studying Texas government and microeconomics this semester.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very proud of my son,\u201d says Maria Ruiz, Sergio\u2019s mother. \u201cHe has worked hard to earn his credits, saving money and time. And I believe it\u2019s something all kids can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early College Start is available to students in all 58 public high schools across ACC\u2019s service area, along with students in private or charter schools and those who are home-schooled. Last semester, 3,318 students throughout the region took part in Early College Start. Classes are offered during the day, after school, on weekends, and over the summer. Dr. Luanne Preston, ACC\u2019s executive director of school relations, says the financial savings and opportunity to earn a degree more quickly aren\u2019t the only perks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis gives students a better understanding of the college experience,\u201d says Dr. Preston. \u201cThey learn how to study, what professors expect of them, the enrollment process \u2013 Early College Start brings a wealth of intangible benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s certainly the case for Sergio De Anda.<\/p>\n
\u201cEarly College Start gave me a chance to learn how to communicate with my professors, buy textbooks, and manage my time, in addition to sharpening my academic skills,\u201d says Sergio. \u201cThe whole environment made a big impact on me. I was in class with adults starting at the age of 15, and I think that made me more mature.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria Ruiz concurs that Early College Start changed her son.<\/p>\n
\u201cSergio feels more comfortable speaking in front of people now. Early College Start made him more confident in himself,\u201d says Ruiz. \u201cHe saw that he could do the same work as someone twice his age. And he learned a lot from the older students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz is actually an ACC student herself. She began working on her associate degree in accounting a number of years ago but didn\u2019t finish. After Sergio got involved with Early College Start, he pushed her to enroll again. She\u2019s now in her last year of school \u2013 and happy that her son had an opportunity to get started on his degree much sooner than she did.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would tell everyone to get more information on Early College Start,\u201d she says. \u201cIt helped us so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Families will have a chance to learn about ACC\u2019s Early College Start program on March 30 and April 8, from 6-7 p.m. The college will hold general information sessions in room 201 at Highland Business Center, 5930 Middle Fiskville Road in Austin. Students and parents can also get more details by talking to their high school counselor or ACC Early College Start staff (512.223.7355 or ecs@austincc.edu<\/a>). Additional information may be found at austincc.edu\/ecs<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe credit and courses are there for the taking,\u201d says Sergio, who hopes to become a foreign language teacher. \u201cYou\u2019re already taking high school classes \u2013 why not get college credit too? Early College Start is definitely worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ACC\u2019s Early College Start saves money, gives students transferable credit Early College Start Info Sessions March 30 and April 8, from 6-7 p.m. Highland Business Center, room 201 5930 Middle Fiskville Rd. Austin, 78752 For … Continue reading