Early College Credit Program
Description: ECCP (Early College Credit Program) offers eligible students an opportunity to receive college credit - at no out-of-pocket cost to the student or the student's family - before graduating from high school. Participants receive both high school and college credit for successfully completed courses (.25 high school credits for each college credit earned).
Audience: Grades 9 through 12
Institutions: University of Wisconsin campuses; Wisconsin private nonprofit institutions of higher education
Course Formats: On-campus or online (availability will vary between institutions)
Costs: Tuition, fees, and book/material costs will be deducted from each participant's BVA allotment. While tuition and fees vary, the average ECCP credit costs approx. $100 to $200; course materials are extra.
Application Deadlines: March 1 for fall classes; October 1 for spring classes; February 1 for summer classes
Helpful Links:
Courses Frequently Taken at Private Colleges (from 2021-2022)
Transfer Agreements Between WI Tech Colleges and WI Private Colleges
ECCP Applications:
Application: University of Wisconsin Campuses
Application: Wisconsin private colleges
To Apply:
1. Click on the "College Links" tab and research opportunities available at colleges of interest. Courses and semester schedules are often found under "Academics."
Important: If a course schedule is not available, you may need to look at a prior semester's schedule (try to look for the same season i.e. fall or spring). Most colleges are fairly consistent from year-to-year in lower-level course offerings. You may also directly contact the college(s) for guidance.
If appropriate class options are available and all parties (student, parent/s, and BVA advisor) agree Early College Credit Program participation is in the student's best academic interest, then...
2. Submit the ECCP application to Jessica.Westphal@bvaedu.org. Complete a separate application form for each institution/campus/semester you are interested in attending. BE SURE TO SIGN THE APPLICATION. The application form must be received by BVA by the deadline; a postmark is not sufficient. Late applications will not be accepted. Students may only apply one semester at a time. Important: Courses may not be added to the application after the deadline, so be sure to include all classes you are interested in taking. Some courses may require a placement test to determine eligibility prior to enrollment - if necessary, a course adjustment within the requested discipline may be considered based upon placement test results (most common in math, English, and foreign language).
3. After the request has been reviewed, the student will be notified regarding the decision. If the request has been approved the student will be guided through the next steps in the application process (including contacting the college, applying for the course(s) with the college, etc.). College students have priority over Early College Credit Program participants and BVA students may not know if they will be enrolled in the class(es) until a week or so prior to the start of the course.
Restrictions:
If a comparable course is offered through BVA, funding and the request will be denied.
A maximum of 18 credits total may be earned through dual enrollment programs during a student's high school career.
A student may not be enrolled in both the Early College Credit Program and Start College Now during the same semester.
Only nonsectarian courses will be approved. Students may not take remedial college courses.
The student/parent will be required to reimburse BVA/Merrill Area Public Schools in a timely manner for all associated tuition, fees, books, and material costs if the student fails (or fails to complete) the course, does not maintain full-time enrollment status at BVA, and/or does not earn college credit for the course.
Participation may be denied if the student has a record of disciplinary or academic problems.
Students/parents are responsible for providing transportation to/from class(es), although there may be funding assistance available through DPI for qualified families. Please contact Ms. Westphal if you would like more information.
Self-Pay: A student may choose to self-pay for a college course outside of the Early College Credit Program. However, any college credits earned under self-pay will not be transferred to the student's BVA transcript and allotment funds may not be used for associated course costs (tuition, fees, books, materials, etc.).