It’s never too early to get a head start in higher education. Dual Enrollment programs, which allow high school students to take college classes, have been seeing an explosion in growth in recent years.
In 2022, according to the Department of Education, approximately 2.5 million high school students took college classes, earning credits while receiving their primary education. High schools will sometimes even pay the cost associated with students receiving credits at these institutions.
Elizabethtown College has offered dual enrollment opportunities in the past and is now expanding its list of partner schools with the addition of Camp Hill School District.
Camp Hill School District, about 19 miles from our campus, will now be one of 16 schools in the region that have a formalized agreement with Etown that offers dual enrollment to their students.
Etown’s Vice President for Enrollment Management Keri Straub, released information about the upcoming partnership. This overview does specify that “any high school student can apply for dual enrollment at Etown regardless of if the College has a formalized partnership with a district.”
“The Etownian” reached out to the principal of Camp Hill High School for his take on the new collaboration but he could not be reached for comment at time of writing.
Dual enrollment can save students time and make it easier for them to finish their higher education quicker, whether they’re pursuing an associate’s, bachelor’s or even on track for post-secondary education.
Oftentimes, Etown staff and faculty will have their children dual enroll with the school, furthering the program’s legitimacy.
Camp Hill itself is a strong high school in the region that has had numerous students go on to attend Etown College (including Etownian writer Nicholas Jacobs 26’).
Camp Hill alumni have expressed support for the partnership when asked about its importance: “I think dual enrollment is an excellent way to take classes early and get them out of the way, as well as to help offset the rising cost of college,” Camp Hill alum Cole Pynes said.
Many current Etown students have participated in dual enrollment programs before coming here, allowing them to satisfy CORE requirements ahead of time.
“Dual enrollment was invaluable to my high school experience. It helped me prepare for the collegiate academic workload, become more comfortable expressing myself in a college setting, and familiarize myself with college expectations and resources. By navigating college-level courses early on, I gained the confidence and skills that made my transition to full-time much smoother,” senior psychology major Abbie Machmer said.
Other partner schools affiliated with Etown include Donegal School District, School District of Lancaster and Elizabethtown Area High School. Applications for dual enrollment in the fall semester began on March 15, with a deadline of Aug. 1. High school students who participate are required to attend an orientation that takes place one week prior to the start of classes.
Those who have questions about enrolling at Etown are directed to the Registration and Records office.
