The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) have partnered to launch a tuition-free early start to higher education by offering Early College for rising high school seniors.
The pilot program in Calvert County is open to 20 students – five students from each of the county’s four high schools for the 2023-24 academic year.
Accepted students will be enrolled in both CSM and their high school during their senior year and will attend class in person at the Prince Frederick Campus. The Early College opportunity allows students to work toward a 31-credit General Studies certification program to complete transferable college credits and their high school diploma requirements at the same time. Classes will be offered in 15-weeks sessions.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for Calvert County students to experience being a full-time college student, save money and earn a full year’s worth of college credits,” said CSM Provost and Vice President of Learning Dr. Rodney Redmond. “We are thrilled to join Calvert County in offering this opportunity to broaden college accessibility.”
“We are excited to partner with the College of Southern Maryland to expand our instructional opportunities for our students,” shared CCPS Superintendent Dr. Andraé Townsel. “This program provides multiple benefits for our high school seniors including a head start on their college coursework at no cost as well as helps prepare them for their post-secondary experience.”
By participating in Early College, students receive the full experience of being a CSM student taking college classes full time. Students will attend class at the Prince Frederick Campus Monday through Thursday, from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., in CSM’s fully equipped classroom spaces and labs. Students will also have access to CSM facilities and resources, as well as a comprehensive network of support services provided by both CSM and the home high school.
As part of the Early College partnership, the Calvert County seniors will take a school bus from their homes to the Calvert County Career and Technology Academy in Prince Frederick and then take a shuttle to the Prince Frederick Campus each day. They will be returned to the CTA at the end of the day. Students can purchase breakfast and lunch at the CTA. Students who have submitted and been approved for FARMs can use these benefits as well.
To be eligible for the 2023-24 Early College program, students must:
- Be a rising senior.
- Have an unweighted high school GPA of 2.75 or better.
- Completed Algebra 2 with a grade of C or higher by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
- Completed all of their student service-learning requirements by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
- Completed all state testing requirements by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
- Completed two credits of World Language or another pathway for graduation by the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
Applications for Early College are being accepted now through March 24. Learn more by visiting www.csmd.edu/earlycollege/calvert.
