Access to a program that lets students earn up to a year of college credits while in high school has expanded by 57 schools, including five in northeast Indiana, state education officials said Wednesday.
This brings the total number of schools offering the Indiana College Core to 141, a 68% increase, according to a news release from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the Indiana Department of Education.
"As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the core, high schools and higher education providers have now come together like never before to expand access to this incredible opportunity for our students," said Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education.
Schools new for the 2022-23 cohort include Angola, Churubusco, Wayne, East Noble and Norwell high schools, officials said. Students at South Adams, Bellmont, Homestead, North Side and East Allen University can also earn the block of 30 college credits, which are transferable to any public institution in the state and to some private institutions.
Purdue University Fort Wayne, Purdue University Northwest, Indiana University Bloomington and the IU regional campuses are the first four-year institutions to serve as primary postsecondary partners. They joined Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University as providers, the release said.
About 10,200 students have earned a full year of college for little to no cost through the program since 2012, the release said. Data show students who earn the credits are more likely to enroll in college, where they are more likely to graduate on time or early.
Chris Lowery, the commissioner for higher education, said the core is one of the best tools for making the cost of postsecondary education manageable while preparing students for the rigors of college.
With the addition of 57 high schools, the release said, the core is now offered at more than 1 in 4 high schools; the previous rate was about 1 in 5. Work to expand access isn't finished, Lowery said.
"Working in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education," he said, "we seek to ensure the core is offered in all Indiana high schools and dramatically increase the number of students completing the core by 2028." Go to transferin.net for information.