Early College
Salish Kootenai College’s Early College’s program mission is to increase college readiness through quality postsecondary education for eligible individuals who have not yet obtained a High School equivalency or diploma.
What are the Benefits of taking Early College courses at SKC?
- Allows individuals to earn college credits while still in high school, homeschool, or prior to completion of a High School Equivalency Test
- Can lower the cost of postsecondary education
- May increase college readiness
What is Early College at SKC?
Early College is SKC’s broad term for various types of opportunities to earn college credit prior to receiving a High School Diploma or High School Equivalency. Early College and Dual Enrollment may be used interchangeably as terms differ between school districts, states, and federal organizations.
- A college-credit only course awards college credit, but not high school credit, for a college course taken by anyone who has not yet obtained a High School Diploma or Equivalency.
- A dual-credit course awards both high school credit and college credit for a college course taken by the high school student. The decision to award high school credit for the college course rests with the school district, provided that the decision is consistent with applicable laws, policies and administrative rules. A dual-credit course may have different designations depending on if it is taught by a properly credentialed:
- Faculty at SKC (commonly referred to as Dual Enrollment) or
- High School instructor (commonly referred to as Concurrent Enrollment)
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for SKC’s Early College program, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 16 years of age or a high school junior with a minimum 2.5 GPA.
- Meet prerequisites for the course which may include placement tests or proficiency scores for math and writing as indicated on the Early College Course list
- Dual Credit students must have successfully completed the required high school classes at your grade level (e.g. junior classes) and be on track for high school graduation
- Dual Credit students must have approval signatures of a parent or guardian, high school official, and designated college official
- Dual Credit students must be enrolled in a high school that has a current dual enrollment agreement with Salish Kootenai College. Home-schooled students may enroll through the school district in which they reside.
High school students are admitted under an “Ability to Benefit” provision. Once admitted, high school students are subject to all SKC policies and procedures, as defined in the SKC Student Handbook and the SKC catalog. Students registering for dual enrollment coursework must satisfy all course prerequisites and provide placement test scores where needed. Registration cannot be processed unless documentation of scores is attached or on file at the college. Students should note that course grades – including a “W” or “Withdraw” – will show on their Salish Kootenai College transcript.
For more information about applying to SKC while in high school, see the SKC Dual Enrollment website.