Early College Opportunities: HCS offers a variety of options for students to earn college credits while still in high school. While not all careers require a college degree, we want our students to feel prepared for college and have multiple options upon graduation.
Early College Scholars (ECS) Program: The ECS program allows eligible high school students the possibility to earn at least 15 hours of transferable college credit while completing the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma. The result is a more productive high school experience and a substantial reduction in college tuition. Students earning a college degree in seven semesters instead of eight can save an average of $5,000 in expenses. Participating students sign an Early College Scholars Agreement, which is also signed by the parent/guardian, principal and school counselor. Students who meet the terms of the agreement upon graduation receive a certificate from the Governor. ECS students may take courses through Virtual Virginia free of charge. To qualify, students must:• Have a “B” average;• Be pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma; and• Take and complete college-level course work (AP, IB or DE) that could earn them at least 15 transferable college credits. Dual Enrollment (DE)In partnership with Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC), high school juniors and seniors may be eligible to receive college credit for courses taken in Hampton City Public Schools. Dual enrollment allows eligible students to meet the requirements for high school graduation while simultaneously earning college credit. Dual enrollment describes an enrichment opportunity allowing high school students to earn college credits for courses taken through a post-secondary institution while still being enrolled in high school. In order to dual enroll with Thomas Nelson, students must: 1. Attend information sessions at the designated high schools that discuss the DE program.2. “Opt-in” or pre-register through the HCS College and Career Coaches. The opt-in process is held annually at the end of the fall semester.3. Apply for admission and obtain an SIS ID on the TNCC website at www.TNCC.edu/apply 4. Take the Virginia Placement Test (VPT) in order to qualify for the DE program. In some cases, PSAT, SAT, ACT or Math SOL scores can exempt a student from the VPT. Qualifying scores for admission to the program can be found at http://www.tncc.edu/dual. In conjunction with Thomas Nelson, Hampton City Schools provides the Virginia Placement test at no charge to students.5. Take the placement test seriously and practice beforehand. Practice is available on TNCC's website at http://www.tncc.edu/admissions/testing/prepare. Students wishing to take math and/or lab sciences must take the math placement test regardless of standardized test scores. 6. Meet with the assigned school counselor to select DE courses that fulfill HCS on-time graduation requirements.7. Submit a Dual Enrollment College Registration Form by the registration deadline to your school’s college and career coach. Students who complete dual enrollment courses with a grade of “C” or higher receive both credits toward high school graduation and college credit on an official Thomas Nelson Community College transcript. These credits may be used to continue college at TNCC or transfer to other institutions. For more information regarding dual enrollment opportunities, contact your school counselor or college and career coach. Note: Courses must have a dual enrollment approved teacher to receive TNCC credit and are subject to change. Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement (AP) allows high school students the opportunity to enroll in courses that follow established College Board course curricula. Students receive high school credit for AP courses and may earn college credit with a qualifying score on the AP exam as determined by the college or university. Arrangements for all credit earning programs must be made through the counseling department of each HCS high school.