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Education

Estrella Mountain college seeks funds to continue dual enrollment offerings

Programs help West Valley high school students get college credits

Posted 1/28/23

AVONDALE — Two early college tuition programs at Estrella Mountain Community College face budget cuts this year following record-breaking high school student enrollments. The cuts could impact …

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Education

Estrella Mountain college seeks funds to continue dual enrollment offerings

Programs help West Valley high school students get college credits

Posted

AVONDALE — Two early college tuition programs at Estrella Mountain Community College face budget cuts this year following record-breaking high school student enrollments. The cuts could impact hundreds, perhaps thousands of students.

The college’s dual enrollment program and Achieving a College Education program, better known as ACE, enrolled more than 2,850 students combined, accounting for approximately 20% of the college’s total enrollment, according to EMCC. Both programs receive critical funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Acceleration, Growth, and Engagement grant, better known as SAGE, which is slated to expire in August 2023.

However, EMCC will ask for an extension from the DOE in hope of extending funding to May 2024.

“Both Dual Enrollment and ACE are critical programs at EMCC,” according to Laura Dulgar, dean of students at EMCC. When SAGE ends, “there is no way we can replace [it]” says Dulgar. “Enrollments will decline and force us to look at how we do more with less, and what is important.”

EMCC is looking at ways to permanently increase the amount of other college grants it can provide to both programs once funding ends.

“(Senior leaders at EMCC) see the benefit (of these programs), it’s a high priority at EMCC and at district, and an ongoing national trend,” said Dulgar.

If the SAGE Grant expires without a replacement to funding, students receiving scholarships will need to pay for tuition out of pocket, which could create a barrier to education for low-income students.

“I believe the loss [of these funds] will discourage some parents”, said Kristina Scott, whose 15-year-old son participates in dual enrollment.

To offset this pending loss, there are discussions at the college to increase available Maricopa Grant funds for both dual enrollment and ACE so more students can receive monies if needed and eligible.

The $1.5 million SAGE Grant from the DOE was awarded last year by the federal government and increases access and opportunity to dual enrollment and ACE programs to students within high schools who meet specific eligible criteria. Students from seven qualified area high schools were eligible and received scholarships from SAGE.

Most of the high schools EMCC serves with these programs increase college access and opportunity to first-generation American and minority students. SAGE increases participation from the students who need it most. Many students EMCC enrolls into these programs would not have participated in a college experience if these grants were not available, according to EMCC.

“We are fortunate this opportunity was being offered to cut down on the costs and length of going to college after high school… anytime funding is offered to offset the costs of college and allow families to apply those funds to other needs is great,” says Scott.

EMCC commits Maricopa Grant funds, another need-based grant, to supplement both dual enrollment and ACE. Some high school districts subsidize the cost as well, paying a portion of their students’ tuition. All students interested in Dual Enrollment can apply for Maricopa Grant monies.

Dual enrollment is an opportunity for high school students to receive college credit while taking a high-school-level class. For the high school class to be eligible for dual enrollment, the faculty must meet EMCC’s adjunct faculty requisites. Not every class qualifies. Once enrolled in this program, students are eligible to receive college credit at their participating Maricopa County community college.

ACE is a legacy early college scholarship program for qualified high schoolers to attend EMCC for college credit concurrently with their normal high school studies. Students must be either: a first-generation American, a fostered youth, a single parent, of low socioeconomic status, or from other underrepresented groups.

If accepted into the program, the college will pay for up to 24 college credits between a student’s junior and senior years, which has proven to transition high school students into college following high school graduation.

The Outreach and Early College department at EMCC runs these programs with a relatively small staff and has committed to supporting the Agua Fria, Tolleson, Dysart, and Buckeye high school districts with permanent on-site staffers. The SAGE grant funds critical staffers within this department until August 2023.

Students interested in the Dual Enrollment or ACE programs within the Agua Fria, Tolleson, and Buckeye high school districts can contact EMCC’s Outreach and Early College department at 623-935-8900 or via email at emccoutreach@estrellamountain.edu.

Students enrolled in high schools serviced by other Maricopa County community colleges should contact their respective department of student services or their high school counselors for eligibility.