College Credits for High Schoolers

Assembly Bill 288 - College Credits for High Schoolers

The New California Assembly Bill, Assembly Bill 288 (AB288), aims at improving student transfer rates by encouraging high school students to take free community college courses, that can be applied both to a college degree and a high school diploma.

The end goal is to encourage high school students to pursue their studies to enable landing a higher-paying job later on. The bill would also allow students to take up to 15 units of community college courses per semester instead of 11 units. In addition, this bill would allow the individual college districts to receive money to manage the program while the enrollment is exclusively for high school students.

Ease Into College Slowly

Having early college credits, build up knowledge, and a “feel what college is like” for high school students will prepare them when they go to college. When you think about the transition, a student who challenges himself, shows colleges that he is disciplined, and is prepared to handle college level instruction certainly has an advantage.

Being in a new environment might be adventurous for some but might be a disaster for others. Just like baking a pie for the first time, you have the recipe, but actually having the experience of making the crust is something the recipe cannot replicate. In addition, having college credits might be the little push a high school student needs to continue his education.

Advantages of Early College Credits

Let’s look at the advantages of acquiring college credits before attending college.

• Acceptance to College: Earning early college credits is a big factor when applying to college because colleges evaluate a student's application based on the “strength of curriculum” in their transcript. Only after students pass muster in this area do colleges then look at other aspects of the student’s application like volunteer work, extracurricular activities, etc.
• Lower College Costs: Aside from a higher chance of college admission, once in college, having additional college credits has the potential to save money on college costs. The credits might mean graduating early, or being sure four years is all it will take to get enough credits to graduate on time.
• Ease Course Load and Enable Better Grades: Early extra college credits will also help to ease the stressful academic load of a student because the introductory courses have been credited already. It will allow the student to focus and dedicate his time to individual courses in his specialty, with a chance of better grades. It may also allow the student to pursue additional courses of interest beyond just the core requirement needed for graduation. Doing so will broaden a student’s knowledge making him more equipped and confident, and it will also make college life more enjoyable and meaningful.
• Earlier Course Registration: Having a semester’s worth of credits means the new student may register ahead of most of the freshman class, thus obtaining better access to the courses needed for graduation. Having early college credits has many advantages. AB288 is just one way. A student may also test to secure early credits. Please check our articles on CLEP and DSST for more information.