Early college courses are still an option

Despite budget cuts to higher education, colleges and universities will likely continue to offer concurrent enrollment or early college courses to Utah's high school students with no fees attached.

A bill was passed favorably out of committee Tuesday that would further clarify the responsibility for maintaining the quality of concurrent enrollment for the more than 16,000 students taking advantage of the program as of last fall. SB81 sponsor Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, said the courses provide an opportunity for high school students to get more out of their education and save money in the long run.

"It is an opportunity to stimulate interest," she said. "You can always go back to college, but you can never go back to high school."

The 16,455 enrolled in early college courses while in high school average about five credits, saving them valuable resources if and when they choose to obtain post-secondary education. It amounts to a savings of more than $19 million to students annually, equating to about $1,179 each.

SB81 designates the money higher education institutions spend on concurrent enrollment as scholarships, reflecting the savings to students, but also creates an option for colleges and universities to expand science, technology, engineering and math programs using an honors program-like approach.

Utah's Commissioner of Higher Education William A. Sederburg said that the bill's clarifications "will strengthen concurrent enrollment and the quality of courses offered, while allowing for innovation as well."

Dayton said that in the current economic situation, higher education could opt to abandon all concurrent enrollment programs, as operation costs are a huge expense to them, but institutions – along with Utah's System of Higher Education and the Board of Regents – have decided getting students involved and familiar with college-level courses proves more beneficial for everyone involved.

Two years ago, Dayton attempted to pass a similar bill, although she included a $30 cost for each credit hour registered. Taking the same course in college would cost a student around $150 per credit hour, meaning the fees would "not be a burden, but actually a savings" for students and their families. This year, however, no budget request or funding change has been requested for the current version of the bill.

A companion bill including concurrent enrollment, HB207, sponsored by Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville, repairs some of the unintended consequences of funding provisions made two years ago. As it stands, 60 percent of the concurrent enrollment funding from the state goes to the districts implementing such training and 40 percent to the higher education instutions involved. Holdaway's bill makes sure that the institution providing the instructor gets the lion's share of the money, making it fair, specifically in rural areas of the state, he said.

E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com