Early College Credit and Start College Now

Start College Now Program

(11th and 12th Grade Only)

Start College Now (SCN) is a state program (outlined in Wisconsin State Statute 38.12 (14)) that allows high school students to take classes at a technical college when they are in 11th or 12th grade.  If students are approved by their school district to take courses through the Start College Now program, school districts pay for the technical college course fees. Students will earn credit for the technical college courses from both the high school and the technical college.  

Program Requirements

1. The student has completed 10th grade. 
2. The student is in good academic standing (Per WRPS school board policy - A 2.5 GPA is required at the time of determination).
3. The student submits the application to the school district by March 1 for fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. 
4. The student is not a child at risk, as defined in Wisconsin State Statute 118.153 (1) (a). 
5. The student is not taking a class through the Early College Credit program.

Important Considerations

1. Students taking courses though the Start College Now program need to possess individual, independent skills to be able successfully navigate and complete coursework at the technical college.
2. Not all students may be approved to take courses through Start College Now; they must meet the statutory and Board policy requirements to be recommended for approval by the Board. 
3. The school district is not responsible for transporting a student taking technical college courses. 
4. The student will be considered a college student in the eyes of the postsecondary institution.  
5. Once approved by the Board of Education, it is the student’s responsibility to register at the postsecondary institution, enroll in courses, meet prerequisites and attend classes. Progress reports are not provided by the technical college to the student’s high school counselor or family.  A final grade transcript is provided at the conclusion of the coursework in order for the high school to apply the appropriate credits to the student’s high school transcript.
6. Submitting a Start College Now application and obtaining approval from the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools does not guarantee that a student will be able to take a course. Each institution of higher education will determine if room is available in the identified course. Furthermore, registration should not take place until permission is granted from the institution of higher education.
7. Students will be required to repay the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools for tuition paid for any course(s) that the students fail or fail to complete.
8. WRPS will pay the cost of textbooks and tuition.  Additional requirements such as equipment, workbooks, kits, etc., will become LHS student fees, which the family will be required to pay. 
9. Textbooks purchased by the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools to support SCN must be returned to the District upon course completion.

Early College Credit Program (ECCP)

Beginning Fall 2018, high school students at public and private high schools in Wisconsin can earn college credit through the Early College Credit Program (ECCP). A student selected for the program may be permitted to enroll in a UW System institution, or an alternative private, non-profit institution of higher education (IHE) to take one or more courses for which the student may earn high school elective credit, post-secondary credit, or both. Under ECCP, the costs of the courses are shared among the IHE, the school district, the state, and in some cases the student’s family.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE EARLY COLLEGE CREDIT PROGRAM:

• Request information from UW System campuses where you’d like to take classes.
• Talk with your high school counselor to see if it’s a good fit for you. They will consider how the class aligns with academic plans and whether you meet the pre-requisite for taking a college level class. Obtain an ECCP participation form from your high school counselor or download it from the link below. 
• Submit your completed form by March 1 for fall semester or October 1 for spring semester to your school officials.
• Submit your completed form by February 1 (ECCP Only) for the summer semester to your school officials. 
• Apply to the campus where you’d like to take classes (meet all deadlines and their campus-specific requirements).
• Submit high school transcripts along with any prerequisite documentation (AP scores).
• Enroll in your class (Only after approval has been granted). 

Important Things to Note about SCN and ECCP

• Students may not participate in both ECCP and SCN in the same term. 
• Colleges run on a semester system while Lincoln High School is on trimesters.  College classes taken in the fall are considered trimester 2 classes at LHS.  College classes taken in the spring are considered trimeter 3 classes at LHS. 
• One college credit will be equal to .25 Lincoln High School elective credit.  Therefore, in a trimester students can take up to 10 credits for the equivalent of 2.5 credits at LHS.  The maximum amount of postsecondary credits that WRPS will pay for is 18 credits. 
• Textbooks purchased by the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools to support ECCP or SCN must be returned to the district upon course completion.