This Valley Voices column by CMC Edwards Campus Vice President Kathryn Regio was published in the December 16 Vail Daily.
“College students are more than $1 trillion in debt!” scream national headlines. But it doesn’t have to be this way. And smart students and their families in Eagle County know why: These students are graduating from high school with as much as half their college education paid for, at no cost to them.
How can this possibly happen, you ask?
In 2002, Colorado Mountain College in Edwards and Eagle County Schools made the bold decision to fully participate in courses made possible by the state’s Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act, calling for the availability of dual-enrollment coursework at Colorado high schools.
Our dual-enrollment courses at the local high schools are, in fact, college courses offered by Colorado Mountain College, taught by Colorado Mountain College faculty. These faculty, qualified by the college, are also the same faculty teaching within Eagle County Schools. This is a testament to the educational talents available to our youth in the valley. Students who successfully complete a dual-enrollment course receive both credit for completing a high school requirement and college credit. Click for full article.