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Kaskaskia College to take on high school students this fall

Kaskaskia College administration recently hosted school superintendents to introduce the college’s “KC Now” program for qualified high school students.

KC Now allows high school students to attend KC during their junior and senior years, beginning Fall 2022. This program will allow students to earn college credit toward a degree or certificate while completing high school.

“KC is offering the KC Now program as a cost-savings opportunity for students to explore opportunities that may be unavailable to them at their high schools,” said KC President George Evans. “We see KC Now as a way to help underserved areas in the KC district, and meet workforce needs and provide the next generation a way to prepare for their future career faster. In short, this is an opportunity to offer high school students to earn college credit outside of the normal dual credit process, and in a way, the saves the school districts and the students significant funds.”

Pending high school participation and approval, high school students may be eligible to enroll in up to 15 credit hours per semester, allowing them to earn college credit.

“KC Now is the perfect program to meet students where they are and offer them affordable solutions for their futures while simultaneously affording them the support of their home school,” said Principal Kara Harris of Bond County Community Unit 2 High School. “KC Now will help our students explore their future interests, get a head start earning college credits, and have dual support in the college community and our Bond County Community Unit 2 high school faculty and staff. Students will now have hundreds of classes at their fingertips to explore and not be limited by what we can offer.”

KC Now began as a pilot program in Fall 2020 with the Residential and Commercial Electricity Program at the KC Trenton Education Center. The program allows high school students within pilot high schools to travel to the Trenton Education Center for afternoon classes Monday – Thursday. To be in the KC Now program, eligible students and their high school guidance counselor will be meeting with Kaskaskia College’s Career Pathway Coordinator to select courses that may meet the student’s graduation requirements, plus career or transfer interests. Coursework may lead to the completion of an associate’s degree or certificate.

Minimum eligibility criteria for students include:
• Junior or Senior in good standing per their high school’s criteria
• Minimum 2.5 high school GPA and on-track for high school graduation
• Complete KC’s CITA 101 and any placement testing required before enrolling
• Participate in the KC New Student Orientation, plus follow the college’s attendance and participation guidelines
• Have reliable transportation
• Advanced eligibility criteria may be required by high school

Students wishing to participate in the KC Now program are responsible for half the tuition costs, fees, and books. However, financial support is available for those who submit proof of financial need.

“KC Now is an absolutely outstanding program for students, and it is extremely cost-effective for parents,” said Dr. Dustin Foutch, superintendent of Breese Central Community High School. “High school students have the opportunity to engage in college-level coursework in a wide selection of academic fields, but also a variety of career and technical areas. KC’s very reasonable per credit hour expense is reduced to only 50 percent for KC Now students. This is a program that we encourage all of our eligible students to participate in.”

“The icing on the cake is affordability,” said Harris. “Kaskaskia College is going out of its way to make sure they are working with families to make this experience affordable.”
An invite to participate was extended by Kaskaskia College to all high schools located in KC’s District 501.

To learn more about the KC Now program, contact Kaskaskia College Career Pathways Coordinator Kelsey Tate at ktate@kaskaskia.edu or (618) 545-3174.

 

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