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Norwalk Community College is one of only 44 colleges in the nation invited to take part in this initiative. Dual enrollment is when students enroll in post-secondary course work while still in high school.
In 2014, Norwalk Community College co-founded the Norwalk Early College Academy with IBM and the Norwalk Public Schools. More than 150 high school students attend this dual enrollment academy and work with IBM mentors while taking college level courses taught on-site by Norwalk Community College professors.
“Norwalk Community College is honored to have been selected as a Department of Education Experiment Site. NCC has a long history of partnering with area secondary schools to offer college courses to high school students,” said college president David Levinson. “The success of NECA and other NCC high school partnerships demonstrates that students excel with dual enrollment options. Providing financial aid for college level courses will open the door to college success and a promising future.”
By 2020, approximately 65 percent of job openings will require post-secondary education and training beyond high school. However, many high school students lack access to the course work and support services that prepare students for success in college.
As part of the Dual Enrollment experiment, an estimated 10,000 high school students will have the opportunity to access approximately $20 million in federal Pell Grants to take dual enrollment courses provided by colleges and high schools throughout the nation.
“Norwalk Community College is an incredible place to get an education that’s been serving our communities for 55 years. A major contributor to its success has been a willingness to innovate and reflect the changing needs of its students,” said Congressman Jim Himes (CT-04). “Taking part in the Dual Enrollment Experiment is another step in this tradition that will serve students better. I believe we need these kinds of forward-thinking strategies at institutions of higher learning all across Connecticut and the country.”
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