College is expensive. Knowing this, many students face anxiety thinking about their plans. However, there are many ways you can start earning credits early at a discounted (or even free!) rate. Lots of these options are available on the Palmer Ridge campus. With class registration on the horizon, it’s important to think of credit plans for the coming year.
AP Classes:
AP, or Advanced Placement, classes give High School students an easily accessible way to take college-level courses in all subjects. In AP, students face a fast, rigorous course designed to mimic the corresponding class at the university level. Throughout the year, students prep to take the difficult AP Exam, which if you score a grade of 3-5, most colleges will take it as a credit, allowing you to skip the class while pursuing an Undergraduate Degree. AP classes are free to take for any 10-12 grade student, however, you must pay for the AP exam, which is $98 in Lewis-Palmer School District. AP classes also receive the benefit of being weighted grades, meaning, you can earn up to 5 points compared to the typical 4-point grading scale. This allows students to acquire GPAs higher than a 4.0.
Palmer Ridge offers 22 AP classes as of the 23-24 year, with subjects ranging from English to art and Spanish.
Dual Enrollment:
Some classes at PR offer the option to dual enroll. This means that the high school class you are taking counts as a college course. Cost ranges depending on the class, but you receive a large discount compared to what the corresponding college course would cost normally. Another perk of dual enrollment is that the classes are offered at the school. No travel is required to earn these credits, and they fit right into a typical schedule.
Palmer Ridge currently offers dual enrollment opportunities with CU Denver and UCCS, with select classes in engineering, math, and science.
Career Start:
Career Start is a free opportunity for students to get a jumpstart on their future career goals through Pikes Peak State College. Career Start students board a bus every morning that takes them over to Pikes Peak, where they engage in college courses in their field of interest. A great part of Career Start is that while they are college-level classes, you are only taking them with fellow high school students.
Career Start is open to students in 11th or 12th grade, and offers selections in medical fields, trades, and even zookeeping.
CLEP Exams:
CLEP [College Level Examination Program] Exams are another option provided by the College Board. CLEP Exams allow students of any grade level, high school to undergraduate, to take a test that allows them to test out of a college course, granting them credit. To pass, students must receive a score of 50 or higher for most universities, though policies can differ from one another. College Board currently provides 34 different CLEP Exams in every subject area. Exams typically cost $93 each, however, some programs like Modern States will give qualifying students vouchers to test for free.
CLEP Exams are available to be proctored and taken in the Lewis-Palmer School District building by contacting the district testing coordinator. You may also seek other test centers, however, they may charge a small proctoring fee.
Concurrent Enrollment:
Concurrent Enrollment, in a similar fashion to Dual Enrollment, allows students to get credit for taking a college-level course. However, there is a key difference. Concurrent Enrollment allows you to take full college courses while in high school, and the district covers your tuition cost. Concurrent Enrollment is available to all grade levels 9-12 and allows for an opportunity to get a head start on your degree. To register for Concurrent Enrollment, you must fill out the application and turn it in by the semester deadline: March 1st for the fall semester, and October 1st for the spring semester.
While the tuition is free, make sure to keep in mind that students are responsible for other costs, such as textbooks.
