Students can now earn an associate’s degree while still in high school
Students at Duanesburg Jr./Sr. High School can get a jumpstart on their college education through a new partnership with SUNY Schenectady. The college has expanded its offerings so students can earn an associate’s degree while still in high school or within a year of graduating.
SUNY Schenectady will launch the new Early College Program with Duanesburg Jr./Sr. High School in Fall 2021. Students have the opportunity to earn between 48 and 60 credits toward an associate’s degree while they are still in high school. While the “DSC+1” program is designed for students to complete an associate’s degree the year after they graduate from high school, students can utilize SUNY Schenectady summer programming or become full-time SUNY Schenectady students during their senior year of high school to graduate with their associate’s degree already in hand.
Students in this program qualify for financial assistance in the form of full-tuition waivers or full scholarships from the SUNY Schenectady Foundation. Current students enrolled in the College in the High School program pay a reduced-rate tuition to earn college credits. Information about the College in the High School program can be found at www.sunysccc.edu/chs.
“This program helps expose our students to the rigor of college-level coursework and helps them start building a relationship with SUNY Schenectady to prepare them for life after high school,” DCS Superintendent of Schools Dr. James Niedermeier said. “Students can graduate high school with a college degree and make their transcripts even more competitive if they are continuing their collegiate studies at another institution.”
“We are very pleased to be able to offer an avenue for high school students to begin their journey into higher education,” said Dr. Steady Moono, President of SUNY Schenectady. “This partnership gives them access to begin pursuing their goals for the future as they earn their associate’s degrees while still in high school or within a year of graduating.”
The DCS+1 program builds upon our existing College in the High School program that is offered to students in partnership with SUNY Schenectady. DCS already offers a wide variety of College in the High School courses to all students in English, history, math and sociology, among others. These courses are intended for all students, regardless of their GPA or academic goals.
“These courses are also among our most engaging courses—every student in our schools needs the opportunity and encouragement to access them,” Niedermeier said. “This includes providing students the support necessary to stretch for this challenging goal. There is no reason that all of our students can’t graduate with college credit under their belts.”
Students who are interested in learning more about DCS+1 should contact their high school counselor.
View the DCS+1 program guide to see the course requirements necessary to complete an associate’s degree. These courses may directly transfer to another college or university.
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