High school students can receive college credits?
YES!
Why should students take college classes in high school?
Taking college classes will not only teach you effective time management, but how to handle college-level workloads without being overwhelmed.
Students can take classes that may not be offered at the high school level.
Taking intro level classes can allow students to explore certain programs before deciding a course of study in college.
Students will need to take fewer courses in college, and may be able to graduate earlier if so desired.
Dual credit classes allow students to save money because most colleges give discounted tuition for high school students.
Willingness to take challenging courses can lead to more scholarships and opportunities.
WNCC is waiving the tuition fee for the 2025-2026 school year - this means these courses are FREE!
Dual Credit Courses - Classes that are taught by instructors who are certified to teach both high school and college.
College Only credit - College classes taken online and taught by professors who are not dual certified to teach high school and college.
Personal Finance
This class is taught by Mrs. Sommerville through Nebraska Wesleyan University. All students must take a year of Personal Finance for high school credit. Students can choose to take this course for dual credit, in which case, students will register with Mrs. Sommerville when the class begins. Students will be billed by Nebraska Wesleyan. The tuition for this class is $99/credit hour for a total of $287. Textbooks are provided by the school.
All other dual credit / college credit courses -
These classes are taught online by college instructors from various colleges, usually through WNCC. In the past, students at Hay Springs have taken English Composition I and II, College Algebra, World Civilization, Intro to Teaching, Intro to Psychology, Intro to Sociology, Trigonometry, Applied Statistics, etc. Students are responsible for finding, and/or ordering and paying for textbooks (the ACE scholarship does not help pay for textbooks). Students may be able to take these classes during the school day if they have space in their schedules and teachers are available to supervise.
Who qualifies to take college courses in high school?
Students must have demonstrated that they are responsible enough to complete assignments and do their very best work. Students must have a minimum ACT score in order to take certain classes such as English Composition and College Algebra. If the student doesn’t meet the score requirement, they can take a test administered by the college called the Accuplacer. Some classes do not have a minimum ACT requirement.
English Composition (Reading - 18 and English - 19)
College Algebra (Math 22)
Trigonometry (Math 26)
Calculus (Math 28)
Can students take ONLY college classes?
Remember, students must have 240 high school credits in order to graduate from high school, which includes a specific number of credits from certain areas such as English, Science, Social Studies, Math, Career and Technology, and Fine Arts. Before students register for classes, they should be aware of whether the class is needed for high school credit as well as college.
What about college grades?
If students are taking dual credit classes, the college will send a weekly grade report to the high school. These grades count toward eligibility for activities. However, these grades will not appear in Infinite Campus until the class is completed and the grade is final. Upon graduation, colleges will require that students send a college transcript in order to give students credit for those classes. It is the responsibility of the student to have those transcripts sent to their college of choice.
ACE Scholarship (Access College Early)
To qualify for the scholarship the student must be enrolled in an eligible course being taken for a grade (courses taken as audit or as CR/NC are not eligible), and the student or student’s family must be approved to participate in one of the federal need-based government programs listed below, have experienced an extreme hardship that affects family income, or be participating in a designated Career Education program as established by the Nebraska Department of Education.
Free or Reduced Price Lunch Program
Supplemental Security Income
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Special Supplemental Assistance Program (WIC)
See Mrs. Wells for a list of courses offered by WNCC.