When Rebecca Lasley graduates high school this spring, she’ll have about 30 hours of college credit under her belt.
And the 18-year-old has yet to cut a single check for tuition. Her only expense was for textbooks.
The Mount Holly resident admits it’s been hard juggling high school courses, college classes and a 30-hour-a-week job at Chick-fil-A.
But being home schooled helps. She can work some days on college classes, saving her high school workload for later.
She wants to take a year off from studying after graduation, and then perhaps enroll at Gaston College to earn an associate’s degree.
Lasley said credits earned in the college’s Career and College Promise program will transfer — along with her 4.0 GPA.
Earning credits
High school juniors or seniors willing to take on some extra work can earn college credits tuition free through the program.
The credits — which can count toward high school and college graduation — generally show up as courses taken, not as grades.
That is, unless students decide to enroll at Gaston College later, said Amy Weisgerber, coordinator of educational partnerships. Those students can start college with the GPAs they’ve earned in college classes.
There is no limit on how many free college courses high school students are allowed to take. But there may be limits on how many of the courses also count as high school credits, she said.
High school counselors act as advisers for Career and College Promise students.
Since Lasley is home schooled, a Gaston College department head helps her enroll, Weisgerber said.
The program is also open to students at public, charter and private schools.
Getting ready
Career and College Promise students choose pathways, which dictate certain classes that help with career preparation.
The choices: business and economics, engineering and mathematics, life and health sciences, and humanities and social sciences.
“You do have to stay inside your pathway,” Lasley said. “You can’t just pick and choose which classes you want to take.”
She enjoys the structure. She thinks it will help her in the future, although she hasn’t made a career decision.
Some courses she’s taken — including biology and English — are basic core classes common for first-year college students. So she already has a head start on freshman year, along with the equivalent of a college scholarship.
“Tuition is a huge cost for college,” she said. “To have the opportunity to not have to pay for it is definitely a blessing.”
You can reach Wade Allen at 704-869-1828 or twitter.com/GazetteWade.
Thinking of enrolling?
Two information sessions will provide information for rising high school juniors and seniors about the Gaston College career and college promise program.
Gaston County session
When: 5:30 p.m. March 20
Where: Gaston College, commons area at Lena Sue Beam early college partnership building, 201 U.S. 321 South, Dallas
Lincoln County session
When: 5:30 p.m. March 27
Where: Gaston College Lincoln campus, classroom building, room 125, 511 S. Aspen St., Lincolnton
For more information on either session, call Amy Weisgerber at 704-922-6237.