New, first-of-its-kind scholarship will allow 135 low-income students to take 476 college credits this fall at their high school for free.
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 11, 2017 – The College of Southern Nevada and the AT&T Aspire Foundation have partnered to provide a scholarship for low-income high school students enrolled in CSN Jumpstart concurrent-enrollment courses.
The AT&T Aspire Foundation awarded $10,000 to CSN this summer to help 135 low-income high school students obtain college credit. The student recipients are taking a total of 476 college credits this semester through CSN’s Jumpstart program at their high schools
Community leaders and media are invited to learn more about this unique program and why more like it are needed in Nevada at 9 a.m. Sept. 14 at Las Vegas Academy. AT&T will present the award to the CSN Foundation and will discuss the significance of this donation with student recipients.
“Recent education policy research has shown that students who take dual enrollment courses are more likely to graduate high school and complete college. In fact, Nevada lawmakers passed historic legislation this spring to help promote access to these types of courses statewide,” said AT&T Director of External Affairs Sandra Douglass Morgan. “AT&T recognizes the importance of CSN’s Jumpstart Program and the difference this opportunity can make in these students’ lives.”
The CSN Jumpstart Program, which began in 2007, works with high school instructors to provide college courses at the high school campus, allowing juniors and seniors to obtain high school and college credit. CCSD instructors with collegiate-level credentials are certified through the program to teach CSN curricula so high school students are receiving the same course they would at a CSN campus. A typical three-credit CSN Jumpstart class costs students’ families $69.50 to enroll.
“Although the price is far lower than a similar course at CSN, it is still a large obstacle for many low-income families,” said James McCoy, CSN associate vice president of academic affairs. “AT&T’s generous support has created an exciting opportunity to remove a significant barrier for many of our valley’s students.”
To award the scholarships, CSN worked with CCSD officials at the 22 high schools where CSN Jumpstart courses are offered. Officials urged students, who had to be high school juniors or seniors and eligible for free or reduced lunch programs, to apply. The scholarships were then awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to funding one course per applicant. The 135 recipients are take a variety of 3-, 4- or 5-credit courses in an array of subjects from English 101 to manufacturing.
What: AT&T Check Presentation and learn more about this first-ever scholarship for concurrent enrollment high school students to obtain college credit
Where: Las Vegas Academy, 315 S. 7th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101
When: Thursday, Sept. 14, at 9 a.m.