Earn an associate degree while still in high school.
To be eligible, students must complete a total of 34 credits (over 50% of the degree) with Penn Highlands either online or at one of our facilities. The remaining 28 credits can be completed through dual enrollment/ACE courses taught within the high school or transferred in from other colleges.
Participants must apply for graduation from Penn Highlands during the fall of their senior year and must send their final high school transcript to the Registrar’s Office following spring graduation. Students must meet all of the policies governing graduation as communicated through the College’s Academic Catalog.
Each academic advisor will help his or her student understand and meet these requirements and policies. Successful participants are eligible for the College’s Commencement Ceremony provided all requirements for the degree will be met by the end of their senior year.
NOTE: Our Associate in High School pathway is available only at participating high schools. Penn Highlands cannot guarantee the transferability of all credits. Students must verify details with the receiving college, which will make the final decision about transferability.
Eligibility Requirements
- Students must submit their application to the Office of School Partnerships complete with their high school transcript during their 8th-grade year. Application deadlines are strict and must be met. Students should work directly with their guidance staff for meeting the application deadline.
- Students must be enrolled in a college preparatory or academic track.
- Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher during their middle school years for acceptance into the pathway. School transcripts including 7th and 8th grades are required with the application.
Applications for students who do not meet the above requirements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by our Office of School Partnerships.
- Students must also meet all course prerequisites such as coursework and/or placement requirements. Students must be ready for college-level English and Math by their 11th-grade year documented placement testing or the testing waiver policy.
- Students must earn a passing grade in all courses required for the program while maintaining a cumulative college GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Student eligibility will be reviewed annually by a Penn Highlands Community College advisor. Students who are unable to meet the above requirements will be removed from the Associate in High School program and counseled on other educational pathways while enrolled in high school.
Associate in High School Pathway Costs
28 credits of dual enrollment/ACE courses total roughly $1,904 (based upon 2023-24 tuition rates). Additional textbooks or supplies are not typically required for ACE Dual Enrollment courses.
The per credit rate for tuition and fees (based on 2023-24) for Penn Highlands Cambria County resident students is $233. The per credit rate for tuition and fees for students residing in Somerset County is $304. The per credit rate for tuition and fees for students residing in all other Pennsylvania counties is $312 per credit. The estimated average cost of textbooks for students enrolled in the Associate in High School pathway is $1,500.