Local high school students earn $2 million-plus in free college credit
Sheboygan Area School District high school students earned more than $2 million in free college credit last school year thanks to a college coursework partnership between Lakeland University and SASD.
The partnership allows SASD students free access to Lakeland Concurrent Academic Progress Program (CAPP) courses, which provide high school and college credits simultaneously.
Nearly 900 students took advantage of the courses in the program’s first year, and more than 5,000 college credits with a value of more than $2 million were earned.
“Students and parents frequently share how the dual-credit program not only better prepares students for their next step following graduation but also saves them valuable time and money when attending college upon high school graduation, allowing them to graduate from college in a more timely manner with less tuition expense,” said SASD Superintendent Jake Konrath.
SASD saw the percentage of students taking dual-credit courses increase to 71% among all students and up to 92% among college-bound students.
“The LU/SASD partnership for dual-credit college enrollment is unique in that it removes financial barriers for students to attain college-level credit while in high school,” Konrath said. “This partnership ensures that all students who pass a dual-credit class can earn college credit regardless of their current financial situation.”
The average SASD student earned approximately 6 college credits and nearly 100 students completed a full college semester or more.
“Lakeland is always evolving and innovating to meet the needs of students, their families and the community,” said Lakeland President Beth Borgen. “This program is all about removing barriers for young people to access college. This agreement is an extension of our philosophy and mission, and we hope this partnership becomes a model for signing similar agreements with other school districts.”
As a part of the agreement, Lakeland also provides curriculum to align with Academic and Career Planning (ACP) content. This curriculum will deepen student learning within ACP experiences for SASD students while providing the opportunity for students to earn college credit for this required work.
Additionally, SASD students can earn up to 15 credits for workplace learning through Lakeland’s Cooperative Education program, and those credits apply to their Lakeland associate degree. They also can apply elective courses related to their academic and professional interests, including options in business and technology, education and world languages.
As part of the agreement, SASD teachers can take up to 18 credits of coursework, which helps teachers access professional development and complete coursework toward a master of education degree.
“The ability of LU to support SASD staff in becoming dual-credit certified has resulted in an extensive offering of dual-credit course offerings at SASD high schools that is second to none in the state,” Konrath said.
Additionally, any paid SASD staff member or a paid staff member’s immediate family member receives a 20% discount off tuition for undergraduate coursework and a 10% tuition discount for Lakeland graduate coursework.
